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Sullivan Centennial. 




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-BY- 



REV. DAVID CRAFT. 




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Gen. JOHN SULLIVAN. 




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ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. 



THE STORY OF A CENTURY. 



OUR CENTENNIAL AND ITS HISTORY. 



Historical Address delivered by Rev. David Craft, at the Centennial Cele 

bration of the Battle of Newtown, near Elmira, 

N. Y., August 29th, 1879. 



The centuries are the natural divisions on 
Time's great calendar; the milestones that 
mark the stages of human progress. We 
propose to-day, for a little time, to step back- 
ward a centennial milestone, to turn back the 
pages, and read the story of a century agone, 
aud recount the deeds of heroic sacrifice, of 
soldierly courage and valor which transpired 
on this very spot one hundred years ago this 
very day, nay, this very hour. 

To understand the story, allow me to re- 
fresh your recollection by referring to some 
facts of still earlier occurrence. A century 
aud a half before the events we commemo- 
rate to-day, a peculiar raee of men occupied 
all this broad land. Their eai'lier history is 
lost in the maze of uncertain traditions and 
childish legends, their later has been preserv- 
ed only by their foes and successful rivals for 
the domination and possession of the ; onti- 
nent. 

When the country was first known to the 
whites, the territory bounded on the north 
by the St. Lawrence, on the east by the 
Hudson and Delaware, on the south by the 
Potomac, and on the west by the great lakes, 
was inhabited by nations which from their 
language, general customs and traditions, 
seemed to be more closely related to each 
other, than to the nations which surrounded 
them. The confederated Five Nations, or as 
they are commonly called, the Iroquois, oc- 
cupied the north-east portion of this territory, 
havii^ i; the Eries and Hurons on the west, 
and tn the south the Andastes, or tribes 
along the Susquehanna. These powerful 
neighbors had greatly wealcened the strength 
of the Iroquois, and weU nigh reduced them 
to a condition of vassalage, and more than 
once had even driven them from their an- 
cestral seats. 

For their mutual protection the Five Na- 



tions entered into a confederation, and in at 
rude way, anticipated the great F. deral Re- 
public which is to-day exercising such con- 
trolling power over the affairs of this conti- 
nent, and such mighty influences over the 
nations of the earth. By means of the mutu- 
al aid iliey were thus able to give each other, 
and of the rifle, which traders 5old to the 
Mohawks prior to 1620, the Iroqnois soon 
began to assert their independence, then to 
make Avar upon their neighbors, and in a few 
years from bemg vassals, they became mas- 
ters and either exterminated or brought into 
subjugation not only their former conquerors, 
but carried their conquests to the Mississippi 
on the West and the Gulf on the South. 

When the English assumed control of New 
York, they formed an alliance with the Iro- 
quois against the French, the common enemy 
of both, then in possesrion of Canada and 
claiming all the country drained by the St. 
Lawrence and the Mississippi. 

The Irequois, strengthened by this alli- 
ance, and becoming still more attached to 
the English by the vdse policy and blandish- 
ments of such shrewd agents as the John- 
sons, declared themsslves to be the children 
of the King of England, and the English to 
be their brethi-en. At the beginning of the 
war of the Revolution, they mustered nearly 
2,000 warriors, which with their valor, their 
peculiar methods of warfare, and the ad- 
vantages of their situation, rendered them a 
power whose hostility was greatly to be 
feared. 

The Indian had learned from the white 
man not only the use of the rifle, but some 
of the arts and appliances of civilization. 
The lodge covered with poles and skins haet 
been superceded by the log cabin with its 
bark-covered roof, and in some instanced 
with chimnks and glazed windows, and the 



village was surrounded with waving corn- 
fields and fruitful orchards. Rude as their 
husbandry was, they raised abundance of 
corn, beans, squashes, potatoes, pumpkins, 
cucumbers, melons, etc., and the squaws, 
more provident than their lords, had learned 
to store a portion of these for the winter's 
necessities. They possessed also fowls and 
swine, horses and c^ittle. ; 

At the very beginning of the conflict be- 
tween the American Colonies and the mother 1 
country, the Con linen tal authorities sent a j 
delegation to the Great Council of the Iro- i 
quois, informing them that their difficulties 
with the British king related to the white ; 
people alone, and since it did not concern the | 
Indians they ought to be neutral in the con- ! 
test. To this policy the Great Council ■ 
agreed; and it was declared that some of ■ 
their chiefs even offered their ser vices to the 
Americans, which however the commissioners ; 
firmly, though kindly, declined. | 

Sir William Johnson, Baronet, the popular 
British Indian agent, died June 24, 1774, and | 
his son. John, succeeded to his' titles and 
estates, and his son-in-law, Col. Guy John- i 
son, succeeded to the Indian agency. Col. '< 
John Butler, a speculator in Indian lands, I 
whose father had been a warm friend w the 
Baronet's, was a near and wealthy neighbor 
of the Johnsons; these were all active loyal- 
ists, and in connection with Sir Guy Carlton, 
then Governor of Canada, began to persua ie 
the Iroquois to take up the hatchet in aid of 
the British king. The celebrated Mohawk 
warrior, Joseph Brant, who had been elevat- 
ed to the military chieftaincy of his nation, 
and was won over to the side of the British 
government, from which he had received a 
captain's commission, was lending all of his 
powerful influence on the side of the crown. 
Rev. Samuel Kirkland, a missionary among 
the Oneidas, succeeded, however, in prevent- 
ing a part of that nation, the Stockbridge 
Indians and a part of the Tuscaroras, from 
taking up arms against the States, and subi-e- 
quently some of them joined the Americans 
— Cajjtain Jehoiacim with a few Stockbridge 
Indians, and Hanyerry, an Oneida, with 
some of his nation, being connected with the 
Sullivan expedition as guides. Without go- 
ing into the particulars of the negotiations, it 
is sufficient to say that, through this defec- 
tion of the Iroquois, about 1,200 Indian war- 
riors were brought into the field to strengthen 
the British forces. 

In the early part of the year 1776, Sir 
John Johnson fled to Canada, where he was 
commissioned a Colonel itj the British ser- 
vice, and raised a command of two battalions, 
composed mostly of Scotchmen living near 



Johnstown, who had accompanied him in his 
flight, and of other American loyalists, who 
subsequently followed their example. From 
the color of their uniform they were called 
"Royal Greens." Johnson became not only 
one of the most active, but one of the bitter- 
est foes of his own countrymen, of any who 
were engaged in the contest, and was repeat- 
edly the scourge of his own former neighbors. 
Besides the regularly enlisted and uniform- 
ed companies of Gi eens or Rangers, a consid- 
erable number of disaffected people had been 
driven from the border settlements by the 
Whigs, as public enemies, and became re- 
fugees about the British camps and garrisons. 
They by the patriots were called "Tories." 
Tliepe burning with rage toward the Whigs, 
and frequently disguised as Indians, either in 
company with them, or in bands by them- 
selves, kept up a predatory or guerilla war- 
fare along the frontiers, and in their cruelty 
and inhumanity far exceeded the savages 
themselves. _ 

Of Joseph Brant, or Thayertdanegea, as 
the Indians called him who acted so conspic- 
uous a part on our frontiers during the Revo- 
lutionary war, a few words need be said. Of 
more tlian average natural gifts, he had en- 
joyed peculiar advantages for their cultivation. 
His sister, Molly, being the mistress of Sir 
William Johnson, that gentleman secured for 
him a fair English education, and afterward 
gave him a responsible position connected 
with the Indian agency, which he held until 
the beginning of the war, when he made a 
visit to England, where he was received with 
marked attention by the nobility and English 
people, and persuaded that the ancient 
treaties between the Iroquois and the British 
bound him to support the crown in its 
struggle with the colonies, and Brant returned 
to America an avowed ally of the Bi-itish 
government. He was descended from a 
Sachem of the Mohawks, and attained the 
hift,h honor of being recognized as the war 
chief of the Confederacy, a position the 
highest and the most honorable to which an 
Iroquois "could aspire. As the leader 
of his dusky warriors, he was foremost 
in the fray, exhau^tiess in expedients 
to harass his enemy, of tireless energy, 
of dauntless courage, of lofty and chivalrous 
bearing, commanding the entirest confidence 
(»f his people, a tower of strength to his 
friends and a terror to his foes. Even after 
the lapse of a century, the mere mention of 
his name calls up i ecollectians of slaughter 
and massacres, of plunder and pillage, of 
burning and devastation, for which men still 
execrate his name and stigmatize his mem( iry. 
With such a horde of white men and red, 



(]f^Z-(^ 



of Indian wan-iors, refugees, Tories, uni- 
formed militia, and a few regular troops, men 
whose passions were inflamed with intensest 
hatred against the patriots, who were stimu- 
lated to deeds of reckless bravery by hope of 
plunder, who were encouraged to a mad 
rivalry with each other ia acts of savage 
barbarism and merciless cruelty, with such a 
horde, whose battle-cry was "No quarter," 
and whose purpose was extermination, with- 
out military discipline and without suscepti- 
bility of control, let loose upon the scattered 
and unprotected settlements on the frontiers, 
British Generals and British statesmen sought 
to subdue the rebellion in their western colo- 
nies, and crush out life and liberty from the 
new-born nation. 

The great event of 1777 was the invasion 
of Burgoyne, and the defeat and ca]^ture of 
his armv. In this campaign the forces under 
Butler and Brant were with St. Leger in the 
siege of Fort Schuyler, and were engaged in 
the battle of Oriskany. The next year was 
marked by a series of attacks on the most 
important fr<intier towns in New York and 
Pennsylvania. In January predatoiy excur- 
sions were begun against the settlers on the 
Susquehanna, and before the clos-^ of spring, 
of more than a hundred families scattered 
along the river above the Lackawanna, not 
one remained. Then came the destruction 
of Wyoming, and the piteous tale of sorrow 
and distress and death had hardly been told 
when there followed in swift suceession the 
destruction of Andrustown, of the German 
Flats and of Cherry Valley. As the terror- 
stricken fugitives fled to the adjoining settle- 
ments, they told with every conceivable ex- 
aggeration, the story of their sufferings, and 
the hideous cruelty and savageness of both 
Tory and Indian. Every messenger from the 
frontiers brought a new tale of butchery, of 
prisoners tortured, of scenes where every re- 
finement of cruelty was in sharp competition 
with the most shocking barbarism This 
enemy in the rear, though of despicable cliar- 
acter and of but little strength, when meas- 
ured by the ordinary military standard, yet 
proved to be far more annoying thin the 
more formidable forces under Clinton and 
Howe. 

During the winter of 1778-79, bands of 
savages or disguised tories were incessantly 
prowling around the frontier settlements, 
keeping the people in constant alarm and 
terror. Military men began to discuss the 
feasibility of what had for a year been advo- 
cated by Washington, carrying the war into 
the enemy's country. It was argued that the 
sur^'^t and easiest way to protect the border 
settlements, was to weaken the power of the 



adversary. It was known that in the fertile 
valleys of the the Genesee and along the 
lakes of Central New York, large crops of 
corn and other vegetables were raised, not for 
the support of the Indians alone, but as sup- 
plies for the British army. It was thought 
that if these crops should be destroyed, and 
the Indians driven back upon the British gar- 
risons which were maintained at Niagara and 
Oswego, it would largely increase the expense 
of the British government in carrying on the 
war, embarrass their operations through the 
failure of their expected supplies, place a 
greater distance between the Indians and the 
frontiers, and teaeh them wholesome lessons 
of the power of the colonies to visit upon 
them the vengeance which their cruelties de- 
served. The territorjr it was proposed to lay 
waste was that occupied by the Senecas and 
Cayugas, the two most powerful nations of 
the Iroquois, and the most haughty and im- 
placable in their enmity to the people of the 
States. 

In the autumn of 1778, the New York 
authorities had determined to send a strong 
force into the very heart of the Iroquois 
country, to punish severely the Mohawks and 
Onondagas for their breach of faith, and their 
cruelties upon the patriot frontiersmen, but it 
was abandoned on account of the lateness of 
the season. The subject was however form- 
ally brought to the attention of Congress, and 
that body, Feb. 27, 1779, passed a resolution 
authorizing Gen. Washington to take the 
most effectual measures for protecting the 
inhabitants of the States and chastising the 
Indians. The Commander-in-Chief deter- 
mined to carry out this resolution with vigor. 
Gen. Hand, Col. .2'ebulou Butler, of Wyo- 
ming, each of whom had extensive knowl- 
edge of the Indian country, were consulted. 
Lieut, [afterwards Col.] John Jenkins, by 
profession a surveyor, who had recently been 
a captive among the Indians, and had travel- 
ed over the very country it was proi5osed to 
send the army, was able to give information 
of the greatest value, and^Vas retained as 
chief guide to the expeditio'h. 

The plan of the campaign contemplated 
the entire* destruction of everything upon 
which the Indians depended for food or shel- 
ter. The invading army was to enter the 
Indian country in three divisions ; one from 
the south up the Susquehanna; the other trom 
the east down that river, the third from the 
west by the way of the Alleghany. These 
were to form a junction at some convenient 
point, advance against the strongholds of the 
enemy in such force as could not possibly be 
resisted, and then overrun the whole Iroquois 
country west of the Oneida villages. 



6 



In a letter to the President of Congress 
dated April 14, 1779, Washington says: 
"The plan of operations for the campaign 
being determined, a commanding officer was 
to be appointed for the Indian expedition. 
This command, according to all present ap- 
pearances, will probably be of the second, if 
not of the first, importance of the campaign. 
The officer conducting it has a flattering 
prospect of acquiring more credit than can be 
expected by any other this year; and he has 
the best i-eason to hope for success. Gen. 
Lee, from his situation, was out of the ques- 
tion; Gen. Schuyler, [who, by the way, 
would have been most agreeable to me], was 
so uncertain of continuing in the army, that 
I could not appoint him; Gen. Putnam I need 
not mention. I therefore made the offer of 
it, for the appointment could no longer be 
delayed, to Gen Gates, who was fnext in 
seniority, though perhaps I might have avoid- 
ed, it if I had been so disposed, from his hav- 
ing a command by the special appointment of 
Congress. My letter to him on the occasion, 
I believe you will think was conceived in 
very candid and polite terms, and it merited 
a different answer from the one given to it." 

Washington had written to Gates on the 
6th of Marcli, who answered: "Last night I 
had the honor of your Excellency's letter. 
The man who undertakes the Indian service, 
should enjoy youth and strength; requisites 
I do not possess. It therefore grieves me 
that your Excellency should offer me the 
unly command to which I am entirely un- 
equal. In obedience to your command I have 
forwarded j^our letter to Gen. Sullivan. 

Sullivan accepted the command and imme- 
diately began preparing the details for the 
expedition. It was determined that the cen- 
ter or main division of the army should ren- 
dezvous at Wyoming, whence baggage and 
supplies could be transported to Tioga and 
beyond by water. This division was to be 
made up of three Brigades, — the New Jer- 
sey, commanded by Brig. Gen. William Max- 
well, composed of the First Regiment, under 
Col. Matthias Ogden; the Second, under 
Col. Israel Shreve; the Third, commanded by 
Col. Elias Dayton, and the Independent or 
Fifth, better known from the name of its 
commander as Col. Oliver Spencer's Reg't; 
also Col. David Forsman's Reg't and Col. 
Elisha Sheldon's Connecticut Riflemen, sub- 
sequently merged into Spencer's Reg't^ the 
New Hampshire Brigade, commanded by 
Brig. Gen. Enoch Poor, comprising from that 
State the First Reg't, under Col. Joseph 
Cilley; the Second, commanded by Lt. Col. 
George Reid; the Third, oi- Scammel's Reg't, 
under command of Lt. Col. Henry Dearborn; 



and the Second New York, commanded by 
Col. Philip Van Cortlandt ; the Brigade of 
Light Troops, under Brig. Gen. Edward 
Hand, composed of the Eleventh Penn'a 
Reg't, commanded by Lt. Col. Adam Hub- 
ley: the German Reg't, or what there was • 
left of it, commanded by Major Daniel Burk- 
hardt; Capt. Simon Spalding's Independent 
Wyoming company; the Wyoming militia, 
under Capt. (afterward Col.) John Franklin, 
and Schott's Rifle Corps, with Capt. Selin in 
command. It was expected that the Penn- 
sylvania and some other companies would be 
filled up by enlistment, when the whole num- j^ ^ 
ber would be about :3,500 men. There was,-i«**A 
also a section of Artillery under command of 
Col. Thomas Proctor, of Philadelphia. 

The right division of the army was the 
New York Brigade, commanded by Brig. 
Gen James Clinton, consisting of the Third 
Reg't, under Col. Peter Gansevoort, who in 
1777 gained great renown for his heroic de- 
fense of Fort Schuyler against St. Ledger; 
the Fourth, or Livingston's Reg't, under Lt 
Col. Frederick W eissenf eldts; the Fifth, or 
Independent Reg't, commanded by Col. 
Lewis Dubois; the Sixth Massachusetts, or 
Alden's Reg't, commanded by Major Whit- 
ing; the Fourth Pennsylvania Reg't, under 
Lt. Col. WiUiam Butler; six companies of 
Morgan's Riflemen, with Major James Parr 
the senior officer, and a small command un- 
der Col. John Harper. The nominal strength 
of the Brigade was about 1,600 men. 

The left division was to consist of troops at 
Pittsburg, numbering about 600 or 800 men, 
under command of Col. Broadhead. As this 
force never became connected with the main 
army, but acted entirely independent of it, 
and never received orders from Gen. SuUi- 
van, nothing further need be said of it. 

Sullivan reached Easton, Penn'a, May 7, 
and the next day writes to Washington say- ' 
ing, "I will do everything in my power to 
set the wheels in motion, and make the neces- 
sary preparations for the army to move on. " 
He adds, "the expedition is no secret in this 
quarter. A sergeant of Spencer's who was 
made prisoner at Mohacamoe and carried to 
Chemung, .has just returned; he says they 
(the enemy) know of the expedition and are 
taking every step to destroy the communica- 
tious on the Susquehanna. * * * I think 
the sooner we can get into the country the 
better." This last sentence is in allusion to 
the verbal instructions of Washington not to 
hasten his march from Easton until it was 
known what would be the future movement 
of D'Estaign, then in the West Indies, who 
was expected soon to sail north, and with 
whom the Commander-in-Chief wished to bo 



ready to co-operate in striking some decisive 
blow upon the enemy. Sullivan was also di- 
rected to so time his movements that he 
should destroy the crops before the enemy 
could gather them, and at the same time be 
so late that they could neither rebuild nor 
replant. There was no need however to cau- 
tion against too much haste, as it was past 
the middle of June before the road was opened 
to Wyoming. 

In the meanwhile some of the Jersey 
troops were in a state of mutiny because the 
authorities of that State had not only neg- 
lected to provide for the depreciation of the 
currency, but had failed to pay even the nom- 
inal sum in the almost worthless Continental 
paper money. It required all the address of 
the officers to quell the minds of the soldiers, 
and Washington declared that nothing had 
occurred during the war which so filled him 
with alarm Spies from the enemy were also 
busily at work amongst the disaffected sol- 
diers, urging them to desert the army and be- 
tray their country. The apprehension of 
some of these and the execution of the ring- 
leaders put a stop to that business. Difficul- 
ties of another sort began to present them- 
selves. Many people in Pennsylvania had op- 
posed 'the expedition from the first. The 
Quakers of Philadelphia, opposed to all war 
on principle, were specially averse to all 
measures which looked toward punishing the 
Indians, who, they alleged, were far more 
deserving of pity than blame for any excesses 
of which they might be guilty ; while what 
was known in that State in the Wyoming 
controversy as the Pennamite party, which 
included men possessing large wealth and 
much political influence, who held title under 
Pennsylvania for considerable tracts of land 
in the Wyoming valley, upon which the Con- 
necticut people had settled, while they pro- 
fessed to commisserate the sufferings of the 
people, did not hesitate to express their satis- 
faction at being clear of the hated ' 'Intruders, " 
and their perfect willingness that the Indians 
should keep them out until the war was over. 
This opposition began to show itself early in 
the campaign in the lack of hearty co-opera- 
tion to furnish either their quota of men or 
supplies for the army. 

On the 12th of June Sullivan wrote to 
Washington, giving him in detail the difficul- 
ties he had been compelled to meet, who in 
reply says (June 21st), "I am very sorry 
you are like to be disappointed in the inde- 
pendent companies expected from Pennsylva- 
nia, and that yon have encountered greater 
difficulties than you looked for. I am satis- 
fied that every exertion in your power will be 
made and I hope that your eventual opera- 



tions will be attended with fewer obstacles." 

On the ISth of June, Sullivan broke camp 
at Easton, 'and on the evening of the 23d ar- 
rived at Wyoming. Here, instead of finding 
the supplies he had expected, a new disap- 
pointment awaited him. Of the salted meat 
not a pound was fit to eat. It is but just to 
say that the reason rendered for this was that 
the meat was necessarily packed in casks 
made of green lumber, which soured the brine 
and spoiled the meat, notwithstanding the ut- 
most precautions were used. Of the cattle, 
many of them were too poor to walk and 
some could not even stand. Everything per- 
taining to the commissary's department was 
in a deplorable condition, and the clothing de- 
partment was in no better. On the 21st of 
July, Sullivan writes that more than a third 
of his soldiers have not a shirt to their backs. 

As early as May 19, Col. Pickering, then 
on Gen. Washington's staff, wrote to Presi- 
dent Reed, stating the necessity of hastening 
forward the supplies for the army, and adds, 
' 'we expected ere this time that all the stores 
would have been at least on their way to Es- 
therton, but for want of wagons three-fourths 
of them are in this city." The next day the 
Board ask that they may have immediately 
80 to 100 wagons to convey supplies to the 
Susquehanna. On the 31st of May Gen. 
Washington himself writes to President Reed 
urging that the stores be sent forward with 
all expedition. 

Instead of exertmg themselves to forward 
the supplies so urgently demanded, and which 
had been faithfully promised beforehand, the 
authorities complained that the requisitions 
of Sullivan were exorbitant and threatened to 
prefer charges against him before Congress. 

Sullivan says also that the executive coun- 
cil of Pennsylvania engaged T20 rangers and 
riflemen, and on the 21st of July "not a man 
of them had joined the army, nor are any 
about to do it.'' The excuses rendered were 
that the Quarter Master paid such large wages 
for boatmen that no one could be persuaded 
into the military service — and Sullivan was 
further told that he had men enough for his 
expedition, although it was the opinion of 
both himself and Washington that his force 
was too small for the exigencies of the cam- 
paign. 

The commander at once set about with 
great vigor to supply his army with the nec- 
essary stores and means for their transporta- ^ 
tion. Boats were secured, 450 boatmen were 
enlisted and soldiers were detailed, who under 
the direction of Gen. Hand and other officers, 
were busily engaged for six weeks in collect- 
ing the supplies which he expected would be 
in Wyoming on his arrival there. 



Sullivan was by no means the only officer 
who complained of the delinquency and crim- 
inal neglect in the State commissary depart- 
ment. In a letter to President Reed of July 
22, William Maclay, the Lieutenant of North- 
umberland, says : "I wish not to complain 
of any one, nor would be understood so. 1 
however know the wretched slothfulness of 
many who are engaged in the public depart- 
ment, and would rather do a piece of busi- 
ness myself than have the trouble of calling 
on them." Under date of July 14, Col. Hub- 
ley writes to President Reed: "Our expedi- 
tion is carrying on rather slow, owing to the 
delay of our provisions, &c. I sincerely pity 
Gen. Sullivan's situation. People who are 
not acquainted with the reasons of the delay, 
I'm informed censure him, which is abso- 
lutely cruel and unjust. No man can be 
more assiduous than he is. Unless some 
steps are taken to find out and make an ex- 
ample of the delinquent (Quartermasters and 
Commissaries) I fear our expedition will be 
reduced to a much less compass than was in- 
tended." July 30th he writes again : "To- 
morrow we march, and I am sorry to say ex- 
ceedingly ill provided to carry through the 
extensive expedition. The same unparalleled 
conduct of those employed in supplying this 
army, seems still to exist. I hope to see the 
day when the delinquents will be brought to 
proper punishment. My regiment I fear will 
be almost totally naked before we can possi- 
bly return. I have scarcely a coat or blanket 
for every seventh man. The State stores are 
all issued and delivered to the regiment." 
The testimony on all sides is that the com- 
missary department was in the hands of men 
who were either entirely mcapable or grossly 
negligent. Of course great allowance should 
be made for the depressed condition of the 
country, the worthlessness of the currency, 
and the poverty of the people, but the real 
cause was mainly to be found in the coldness 
and real disfavor with which the State au- 
thorities regarded the expedition and the en- 
tirely inadequate idea they had of its extent 
and necessities. 

On the evening of the loth of July, 33 of 
the German Regiment deserted, on the plea 
that their term of enlistment had expired. 
They were apprehended, brought back, tried 
by court martial, the leaders condemned to 
suffer death, and the others to severe punish- 
ment. On the petition of the criminals, with 
the promise to serve faithfully until properly 
discharged, and the recommendation of a 
board of officers, they were pardoned and 
cheerfully took their places in the ranks. 

The movements of Sullivan had not been 
unobserved by the enemy, who naturally con- 



cluded that the gathering of such a force and 
the collection of such extensive stores indi- 
cated some offensive movement, and that the 
invasion, which they they had treated with 
so much ridicule, might be a more serious af- 
fair than they had anticipated. 

Bold and desperate measures were under- 
taken to divert his attention, divide his force, 
and, if possible, embarrass or delay his move- 
ments, by maldng vigorous attacks on the 
right and on the left of him. 

For the protection of the scattered settle- 
ments on the West Branch of the Susque- 
hanna, a fort had been erected fifteen miles 
above Northumberland, called Freeland Fort. 
On the 28th of July 100 British soldiers, un- 
der command of Capt. Macdonald, and 200 
Indians, invested the fort. Capt. Hawkins 
Boon, a few miles below, hearing the firing, 
started with tMrty men for the relief of the 
garrison. Before reaching there, the garrison, 
which consisted of 32 men, surrendered, and 
Capt. Boon's party were surrounded by the 
enemy and fourteen of his men were slain. 
Great panic ensued, and express after express 
arrived at Wyoming beseeching Sullivan to 
send them aid. In reply he wrote to Col. 
Cook : "Nothing could afford me more pleas- 
ure than to relieve the distressed, or to have 
it in my power to add to the safety of your 
settlement, but should I comjily with the 
requisition made by you, it would effectually 
answer the intention of the enemy and destroy 
the grand object of this expedition To- 
morrow the army moves from this place, and 
by carrying the war immediately into the In- 
dian country, it will most certainly draw 
them out of yours." 

The same week Brant with a party of war- 
riors fell upon^ the Minnisink settlements in 
Orange Co., N. Y., killing several of the in- 
habitants and making others prisoners. One 
hundred and fifty Orange Co. militia march- 
ing for their relief were decoyed into an am- 
bush and more than a hundred of them slain. 
An attack followed on the settlement of 
Lackawaxen, which was broken up with the 
loss of several lives and a number taken pris- 
oners. Sullivan however was too good a 
general to divide his force in the presence of 
the enemy. He detached not a man from 
his main body, but hastened the preparations 
for his departure. 

On the last day of July, everything being 
in readiness, so far as circumstances would 
allow, about one o'clock in the afternoon, the 
army broke camp at Wyoming and began its 
forward march. Two captains, six subal- 
tans and one hundred men were left as the 
garrison for Wyoming under command of 
Col. Zebulon Butler, who was charged with 



forwarding such supplies as might be col- 
lected. The Artillery consisted of eight 
brass pieces, viz : two six -pounders, 
four three-pounders, two howtzers carrying 
5| inch shells, ^M a light piece for carrying 
either shot or shell called a cohorn. A co- 
horn is a small brass piece mounted on a 
wooden block with handles, so that it could 
be carried a short distance by hand. Col. 
Pr|[ctor conceived the idea of putting legs 
under it, and placing it on board one of the 
light boats which was to preceed the fleet, 
and called it the " grasshopper." The Artil- 
lery, amunition, the salted provisions, flour, 
liquors, and heavy baggage were loaded on 
two hundred fourteen boats, manned by 450 
enlisted boatmen, Col. Proctor's Regiment, 
and 250 soldiers ; all under the command of 
Col. Proctor. To Gen. Hand and his light 
troops was assigned tlie post of honor, the 
front of the column, who was directed to 
keep about a mile in advance of the main 
body. An advanced guard, and flanking 
parties were kept out to guard against sur- 
prise from the enemy, and his brigade was so 
arranged as to be instantly effective in case 
of sudden attack. Then followed the pack 
horses about 1,200 in number and 700 beef 
cattle, then Maxwell's Brigade advancing by 
its right in files, sections or platoons accord- 
ing to the nature of the country, then Poor's 
brigade by the left in the same manner. A 
regiment taken alternately from Maxwell's 
and Poor's brigades was detailed as rear 
guard, sixty men under Capt. Gifford of the 
3d Jersey Regiment were directed to go up 
^he west side of the river to prevent any sur- 
/)rise or interruption from that quarter ; and 
rour light boatb, well manned, were directed 
to keep abreast of them, to bring them over to 
the main body, in case of an attack by a su- 
perior force. 

The firing of a gun from the "Adventure," 
Col. Proctor's flag boat, at 1 o'clock, p. m. was 
the signal for the fleet to weigh anchor. In 
a few moments the whole army was in mo- 
tion with flags flying, drums beating, flfes 
screaming, and Col. Proctor's regimental 
band playing a lively air. Passing the fort a 
salute of 13 guns was fired which was ans- 
wered by a like number from the fleet. When 
the whole line got in motion the distance was 
about two miles from front to rear, and some- 
times farther, while the fleet was spread out 
at least an equal distance. Owing to un- 
skillful loading or mismanagement, the fleet 
experienced great difliculty in making head- 
way against the rapid current of the Susque- 
hanna, and equal difliculty was experienced 
with the pack horses, the lading either being 
badly packed, or the slings improperly ad- 



justed, packs were frequently falling ofl', or 
the horses liable to stumble and fall. 

On the 9 th of August the army encamped 
at Sheshequin, on the 11th forded the Susque- 
hanna a mile below the junction, crossed the 
Tioga or Chemung and encamped at Tioga, 
the site of an Indian town on the peninsula 
betweeen the rivers. 

On the first flat above the present villae 
of Chemung, stood the Indian town Clie- 
mung in 1779. The old town, abandoned a 
number of years previous, was nearly three 
miles below, and near the present village. 
Sullivan determined, if possible, to surprise 
this town and destroy it, and thus prevent it 
from being used as a rendezvous for parties 
to commit depredations upon his camp. Ac- 
cordingly the same evening of his arrival at 
Tioga (August 11th) Capt John N. Cum- 
ming, of the 2d N. J. Regiment, Lieut. 
Jenkins, the guide, Capt. Franklin, of the 
Wyoming mihtia and five others were sent 
to reconnoitre Chemung. Carefully they 
threaded their way through the tangled for- 
ests, avoiding the trail, yet keeping sufiicient- 
ly near it not to loose their way, watchful of 
an ambush and listening for the footfall of a 
foe, they made their way to the crest of the 
high hill now owned by Miles C Baldwin, 
Esq., where they could look down upon the 
town. There all was bustle and confusion. 
The Indians were evidently expecting an at- 
tack, and were hastening to a place of safety. 
The scout returned the next day about 3 
o'clock p, M. On hearing their report the 
commander-in-chief issued orders for the sol- 
diers to be in readiness to march at a mo- 
ment's notice, and at 8 p. m., (August 12th,) 
with the greater part of the troops under 
command of Generals Poor and Hand, Sulli- 
van set out from Tioga, leaving Gen. Max- 
well in command of the camp. 

Night marches are attended with great fa- 
tigue and many inconveniences, but here they 
were greatly augmented The path lay 
through deep woods and tangled thickets, 
down into dai'k valleys and over precipitous 
hills ; at one time the soldiers are floundering 
thi'ough a swamp, at another feeling their 
way along a narrow path on the hillside, 
where there is scarcely room for two to walk 
abreast, and where a single misstep would 
plunge headlong the unfortunate comradi' 
upon the rocks hundreds of feet below ; 1 he 
day began to dawn ere the tired troops reached 
the last narrows. Covered by the fog, hd v- 
ever, they pushed on their way, Gen. Hniid 
taking a little more circuitous route to strilie 
the town in the rear, while Gen. Poor ad- 
vanced upon the front. But, lo ! the bird 
had flown. Only two or three straggling In- 



10 



dians were discovered, and these ran away as 
soon as our men came in sight, which was a 
little before sunrise. 

The town consisted of between 30 and 40 
houses, built, some with split plank, and some 
with hewed logs, covered with bark, but 
without chimnays or floors. "There were 
two larger houses, whjch from extraordinary 
rude decorations, we took to be public build- 
ings. There was little furniture left in the 
houses except bearskins, some painted feath- 
ers and knicknacks. In what we supposed 
to be the chapel," says Major Norris, whose 
journal I have quoted, "was found indeed an 
idol which might well enough be worshipped 
without a breach of the Second Command- 
ment, on account of its likeness to anything 
in heaven or earth. About sunrise the. Gen- 
eral gave orders for the town to be illumina- 
ted, and accordingly we had a glorious bon- 
fire of upwards of 80 build 'ngs at once." 

At his own request. Gen. Hand was per- 
mitted to pursue the retreating enemy, and 
with Hubley's Regiment and the Wyoming 
troops, had advanced about a mile, the latter 
a httle in front, Capt. Bush, whose company 
was on the right of the regiment, following 
closely, and possibly with too little caution, 
just as they reached the broken ground above 
Chemung known as the "Hog-backs" were 
fired upon by the Indians in ambush, killing 
six men, viz : 1 sargent, one drummer, and 4 
privates all of the 11th Pennsylvania, wound- 
ing Capt. Franklin, Capt. Carbmy and Adju- 
tant Huston and 6 rank and file. Our nien 
returned the fire, pushed up the hill on a run 
and the enemy beat a hasty retreat. It was 
afterwards known that the Indians had three 
killed and a number wounded. Gen. Hand 
was recalled by orders from Sullivan. 

Nearly 100 acres of excellent corn, just in 
the milk, were near this town the greater part 
of which Gen. Poor was ordered to destroy. 
A party of the enemy on the other side of 
the river fired upon the troops just as they 
were entering a field, killing one and wound- 
ing five. About 40 acres of corn were left 
for the future use of the army, the rest de- 
stroyed, the town burned, the troops returned 
to their encampment, reaching Tioga near 
evening, of the 13th, greatly wearied with 
the fatigue of the journey and the extreme 
heat of the weather. The casualties were 7 
killed and 14 wounded. All were brought 
to Tioga, where the slain were buried with 
mihtary honors in one grave, Chaplain Rog- 
ers ofliciating at the religious services. 

We can hardly imagine a scene in military 
experience mo^e tenderly solemn than this, 
when after the fatigues of that long march 
and conflict, in the terrible heat of that Au- 



gust day, just at sunset, beneath the "shadows 
of Nature's leafy temples," more than an 
hundred miles distant from the home of a 
white man, these dust-bcgrimmed soldiers 
gather in silence and in sorrow, to consign their 
comrades, the flrstto fall by the enemy's bullets 
in the campaign, to the rest of their quiet 
gi'aves. With what readiness they listen as 
their chaplain pronounces the brief discourse, 
and how reverently they bow their heads as he 
^' went to prayer." We can well believe it was 
m ex-aggeration vhenhei'ecordsinhis jom-nal 
" The regiment very solemn and attentive. 
The see je was e x ceedingly affecting. ' ' These 
were emong the heioes who sleep in nameless 
gia,ves. No living soul knows the exact 
place where their ashes lie, and probably no 
one knows the name of a single one of the 
slain, unless Joseph Davis and Ezekial Davis 
both of Amhertt,of the 3d Company of Alley's 
Regiment, wno were kiUed previous to Aug. 
29, were tvio of them. 

For the protection of the stores and boats 
left at. Tioga during the absence of the army, 
a fortification was erected which the soldiers 
in honor of their commander, called Fort 
Sullivan. The site selected was near the 
centre of the present village of Athens, where 
the two rivers approach very near each other. 
Four strong block houses set in the angles of 
a parallelogram served as bastions for the 
work, the two opposite ones resting on 
the bank of each riv'r, and the othc two 
about midway between, and at a distance of 
about one hundred yards from each other. 
The curtain was made by setting logs end- 
wise into the ground, the whole being sur- 
rounded by a diuCh, making a work of am- 
ple strength for the place. 

General Clinton with hisbrigade and stores 
was at lake Otsego, the head waters of the 
Susquehanna, the early part of July, where, 
awaiting orders from Gen. Sifllivan, he re- 
mained until the 9th of August. Lest the 
river would be rendered unnavigable by the 
drought which frequently occurs in July and 
August, he had thiown a dam across the 
outlet of the lake by which its waters were 
raised about 4 feet above usual high water 
mark The boats, "^50 in number, were taken 
into the Susquehanna, loaded with the stores 
and two small cannon, and manned with 
three men to each boat, when the dam was 
broken up, and on the flood thus created the 
fleet floated grandly over the shoals and bars 
which abound in the upper part of the stream, 
and the army took up its course, by easy 
marches, *or Tioga. Not reaching there as 
soon as expected, and Clinton having ex- 
pressed fears tha^ his advance would be im- 
peded by the enemy, on the 16th Sulhvan 



11 



ordered a detachment of 900 men, properly 
officered, under command of General Poor, 
to ^o up the river and render Clinton all need- 
ful aid in reaching Tioga. The brigade met 
the detachment on the morning of the 19th 
near the present village of Union, when they 
proceeded together to Fort Sullivan which 
they reached about noon on Sunday the 22d, 
and were welcomed with salvos of artillery, 
the cheers of the men, while Col. Proctor's 
band enlivened the scene by playing martial 
airs. Col. Pawling with a regiment of levies 
was to have joined Clinton at Anaquaga, but 
failing to make connection returned to War- 
warsiug. 

On the arrival of Clinton with the stores 
he had collected, preparations for the onward 
movement of the army were prosecuted with 
great vigor. Some changes were made in 
the organization of the army. The 4tli Penn- 
sylvania Regiment and the companies of rifle- 
men were trrnsferred to Hand's Brigade. 
Alden's regiment was transfered from Clin- 
ton's to Poor's and Cortlandt's from Poor's 
to Clinton's brigades. The riflemen were 
formed into an advauce guard, and a pioneer 
corps was organized under Capts. Selin and 
Ballard. The German Battalion was reor- 
ganized into four companies of 25 men each , 
two of these companies with two hundred 
picked men in addition, formed the right 
flanking division commanded by Col. Dubois 
ard Lt. Col. Regnier, under the direction of 
Gen. Poor. An equal number under the di- 
rection of Gen. Maxwell and commanded by 
Col. Ogden and Lt. Col. Willett formed the 
left flankmg division. The flom* and amuni- 
tion were packed in canvass sacks made of 
teats ; commissary and hospital stores- were 
placed in kegs, the two six-pounders were 
left with the garrison, and the rest of the ar- 
tillery was taken with the army. In the 
order of march, Gen. Hand's Brigade was 
in advance, Gen. Poor on the right, Gen. 
Maxwell on the left and Gen. Clinton in the 
rear. The artillery preceeded by the pioneers 
in the center, followed by the packhorses and 
beef cattle ; all cumbrous and unnecessary 
baggage was ordered to be stored with the 
garrison at Tioga, which was to consist of 
250 men besides the invalids under the com- 
mand of Col. Shreeve. 

On the 26th of August the army took up 
the line of its march to an unknown country, 
through leagues of unbroken forests, into the 
very heart of the enemy's territory, relying 
on their own valor alone for success, without 
hope of relief or of reinforcements, or in case 
of defeat of any quarter. It was an expedi- 
tion in which not only peculiar hai-dships 
might be expected, but it was one without 



scarcely a parallel in the world's history for 
the boldness of its design, and the courage 
with which it was undertaken. To transport 
an army with its equipments and supplies, 
through an uncivilized country, Avithout 
roads, for much of the way without water 
communication, to cut loose from their base 
of supplies and communications ; to be shut 
up for weeks fro m the intelligence of the 
world, where to fa-// was to die, and ordin- 
arily to die by torture, was an exauple of 
heroic bravery which the world has seldom 
witnessed. Sherman's march to the sea has 
received and justlv merits the applause of 
men for its daring an d its success ; but this 
expedition was far m ore daring, and if the 
loss of life and the eads secared by it, be 
taken into the account, equally as successful 
in its execution, and deserves first rank 
among the great military movements in our 
country's history. 

It was known that the enemy were assem- 
bled in force somewhere on the Chemung 
river, where it was thought they would dis- 
pute the passage of our army. Some boats 
carrying supplies and baggage, were to ac- 
company the army until it met the enemy 
and then return. 

The army reached the site of Old Chemung 
on the evening of the 27th. Between this 
point and the town, ihree miies above, the path 
led over t^ very high hill, which comes sharp- 
ly down to the water's edge, was found so seri- 
ous an obstruction, that the artillery, bag- 
gage, ammunition wagons, packhorses and 
Maxwell's brigade forded the river twice. 
The current was swift and the water deep, 
and the crossing attended with considerable 
difficulty, and some of the loading lost. The 
other troops passed over the mountain, aid 
the army encamped near the site of the town 
destroyed on the 1 3th. 

During the evening a scout came in with 
the information that the enemy were busily 
at work on a lortification a few miles above. 
The advance guard could easily hear- the 
sound of their axes, and see the hghtof their 
fires beyond the hills. 

Early on Sunday, the 29th of August, rhe 
army moved with great circumspection. Gen. 
Hand marched at 8 o'clock, and before nine, 
all the troops were in motion. They had 
gone scarcely two miles before the advanced 
guard began to discover Indian scouts or spies 
150 or 200 yards in front, who, upon being 
discovered, ran off at full speed. A small 
party was also seen on the opposite side of 
the river, who kept nearly abreast our front 
line. Tlie farther our men proceeded the 
bolder and the rhore numerous these scouts 
became. After marching about 4 miles, the 



12 



fortifications of the enemy were discovered. 
In order to obtain a better idea of the po- 
sition of the defenses and the plan of the 
battle, allow me to call attention to the topo- 
graphy of the place. Standing at this point 
and looking to the eastward, we hare the 
Chemung (the old Tioga) river on om- right, 
and running first in a southerly direction, 
then sweeping around the northeast it form- 
ing nearly a semi-circle, of which, the road 
leading to Elmira is the diameter. The 
road to Wellsburg divides this space into two 
nearly equal areas or quadrants. Coming 
down between the hills from the north is 
Baldwin's creek, which a little south of the 
main road, turns sharply to the east, and 
reaches the river some distance below. Be- 
ginning near the river, and nearly opposite 
of what was formerly the lower point of 
Baldwin's Island, now, owing to a change in 
the main current of^the stream, near the 
middle of it, begins -tiais ridge of land, run- 
ning in a south-easterly direction for about 
3,500 feet, and crossing the Wellsbm-g road, 
when it turns nearly at right angles, and ex- 
tends in almost a direct northerly course 
about 1,200 feet fm'ther until it reaches the 
creek. The side of this ridge toward the 
streams was steeper and hight-r than it now 
is, it having been measurably levelled down 
by ninety years of cultivation. Between 
this ridge and the hill on the north on which 
the monument stands, and is now called Sul- 
livan Hill, is a hollow, along which the El- 
mira road is laid, and which a mile to the 
west of the creek expands into a wider fiat, 
where was the site of an Indian town of 25 
or 30 houses, called Newtown. At present 
only two or three old apple trees indicate its 
site, but for many years, the settlers were ac- 
customed to find in abundance, all those rel- 
ics and marks which indicate the locality of 
the abandoned villages of the aboriginees. 

A mile or more to the north of the main 
road, Baldwin's creek runs between two high 
ridges parallel with the stream, the slope of 
the western one, which is Sullivan Hill com- 
ing sheer down to the water's edge, -gliere 
Jacob Lowman's sawmill now stands, in the 
woods, on both sides of the creek, were about 
20 or 30 houses, which had never been inhab- 
ited, and were supposed to have been built 
for storing the crops growing in the vicinity. 
A few houses near the bend ol the creek 
were torn down by the enemy, and the logs 
used in their fortification. 150 to 200 acres 
of magnificent corn just ripening for the 
sickle were on the flats near the river. The 
Indian path from Chemung, probably, was 
nearer the creek than the present road ; after 
the creek was crossed, the path turaad to the 



right, until it reached the Elmira road, when 
it took about the direction of the highway to 
Newtown. The slope of Sullivan Hill was 
covered with pine and dense growth of shrub - 
oaks. 

Along the crest of the ridge, or " Hog- 
back" as the old settlers were wont to call 
these ridges, from the river to the creek ^the 
enemy had erected a fortification, in mos 
places breast high or more, in others lower, 
but pits or holes were dug, in which the de- 
fenders could be nrotected. The work was 
very artfully maiked bj'- the slope of the 
ridge being thickly set with the shrub oaks 
cut the nigh before from the hillside Stand- 
ing a little in front of the line of fortifica- 
tion were one or two log houses which served 
as bastions for the woi'k. 

The enemy seem first to have concentrated 
their main force at the angle in the fortified 
line. From this point a thin line was con- 
tinued on one side to the river, and on the 
other to the creek. On the crest of the ridge 
just above the sawmill before spoken of, a 
considerable force was stationed to repel any 
flank movement which might be attempted, 
and was connected with the main force by a 
scattering line. On the very summit of the 
hill just will re the monument stands, was 
placed a corps for observation, as also one on 
the opposite hill, on the east side of the 
creek. There was a small party also on the 
opposite side of the river. 

The plan of the enemy seems to have been 
tilts : — Presuming their fortification to be 
perfectly concealed, and that the army would 
follow the Indian tr^l, as it turned to the 
right after crossing the creek, a sudden and 
severe fire opened on its exposed flank would 
create confusion in tlie ranks, and in the sur- 
prise of the unexpected attack, the party on 
the eastern hill, and that over the river hav- 
ing faUen back and crossed over, would 
fall on om' rear, increase the consternation, 
stampede the cattle and pack horses, and if 
they did not destroy the army would so crip- 
ple its resources as to prevent its further pro- 
gress. For the purpose of the enemy the 
place was admirably adapted. In addition 
to occupying a position tb«s naturally strong, 
they had the inside line and could concen- 
trate their forces in much shorter space than 
their opponents. 

The force behind the ramparts consisted of 
a few regular British soldiers, the two Bal- 
talions of Royal Greens^ Tories and Indians. 
The whites were commanded by Col. John 
Butler, with his son, Capt. W alter N- Butler 
and Capt. Macdonald, and the Indians by the 
great Mohawk warrior, Joseph Brant. Other 
celebrated Indian Chiefs, but of less note 



13 



than Braat, were also present. The appear- 
ance of these noted" captahis in border war- 
fare, was an indication of tlie importance at- 
tached to the pending contest and an assur- 
anne that if cunning, bravery and every de- 
vice known to savage warfare would secure 
success, victory would perch upon the banners 
of the motley herd 

As soon as the riflemen discovered what 
they supposed to be the fortification, which 
was about 11 o'clock a. m., they halted, and 
one of them climbing a tall tree near by, dis- 
tinctinctly saw the breastwork and painted 
Indians behind it. All doubt being dispelled 
as to the character of the work, General 
Hand ordered the riflemen to form in line at 
about 300 yards from the enemy, open fire 
upon him and to hold their position until the 
remaining part of the brigade should come 
up or uniil further orders. This was 
scarcelv done, before about 400 of the enemy 
made a sortie, and, delivering their lire, rap- 
idly retreated to their works. This was re- 
peated a number of times, with the manifest 
intention of drawing our men into their lines. 
This scheme which had too often been suc- 
ceesful in alluring the millitia into ambush 
failed with the disciplined troops of this army, 
and, at length, the enemy sullenly retired be- 
hind his entrenchments to await the issue of 
the attack. 

In the meanwhile. Gen. Hand drew up 
his brigade in line of battle and advanced it 
to support the riflemen, and informed Sulli- 
van of his discovery and the disposition he 
had made of his brigade. 

The commander at once summoned a 
council of his general officers, who after 
thoroughly reconnoitreing the ground, agreed 
upon the plan of attack, While tliey are 
standing upon that hill lop yonder, a mile or 
more in front of the enemy's works, where 
one sweep of the glass reveals the salient 
points of the enemy s position, let us for a 
moment survey that group of remarkable 
men, whose names are so intimately asso- 
ciated with the events we are commemorat- 
ing, and whose deeds brought lustre to our 
Country's arms, and glory to this place of 
their triumph. "Monuments and eulogy," 
said Webster at Bunker Hill, "belong to the 
dead." Who were these men whose deeds 
we this day commemorate ? 

The central figure, that man of robust 
form slightly tending to corpulence, whose 
dark gray eyes are piercing as an eagle's, 
whose swarthy complexion is still deeper 
browned by almost constant exposure to 
storm and wind and an xlugust sun, whose 
hair, black as a raven's wing, falls in thickly 
clustering locks upon his shoulders, whose 



mien and bearing are every whit a soldier- 
that man is Major General John Sullivan. 
Born in Dover N. H., in 1741, he is 38 years 
of age. He had acquired a good education 
under the direction of his father, who was a 
school teacher, and commenced the practice 
of law ?t Durham, N. H., which continued 
to be his place of residence until his death. 
In 1772 he was Major of the New Hampshire 
Regiment. In 1774 and 1775 he was Dele- 
gate to Congress, and by that body was ap- 
pointed Major -General in July, 1776. His 
courage, bravery and skill were unques- 
tioned. He enjoyed thn confidence of 
Washington and his compatriots. His con- 
duct in this expedition was the subject of 
severe criticism in certain circles, and char- 
acterized as vandal and unmilitary. His 
usual practice of firing a morning and even- 
ing gun, his destruction of the houses and 
orchards of the enemy, were declared to be 
unwise and unsoldierly. Sullivan bore these 
criiicisms in patience and for the most part 
in silence; and such was his love for Wash- 
ington, that never did he allude to the fact, in 
his own defense, that in tliose things for 
which he was blamed, he was acting under 
the express directions of the Commander-in 
Chief, preferring rather himself to suff- r in 
silence than that his beloved Washington 
should airiT -er reproach. Owing to exposure ^« 
in this expedition, and the derangement of 
his business growing out of his prolonged ab- 
sence in the camp, he asked leave to retire 
from the army at the close of the campaign. 
But his subsequant life was largely spent in 
the pubMc business. In 1780 and 1781 he 
was a delegate to Congress, in 1782 was ap- 
pointed Attorney -General, and re-appointed 
on the adoption of the new Constitution in 
1784 In 1786 and 1787 he was President of 
the State. In 1788 he was Speaker of the 
House of Representatives of Kew Hamp- 
shire, and President of the t 'onvention 1 hat 
ratified the Constitution of the Uniti d States. 
In 1789 he he was Presidential Elector and 
voted for Washington; and in March of the 
same year was elected President of the State 
for the third time. In 1789 he was appoint- 
ed by Washington Judge of the ! )istrict 
Court of New Hampshire, which office he 
held until his death. January 23, 1795, at the 
age sf 54 years. One of New Hampshire's 
honored sons, at whose name we this day 
uncover our heads with reverence, ^fd/i^^yi 

Near by his commander, ijj the second ^ 
order of rank. Owing to the positioii of his 
Brigade, he was the last to arrive at the 
council. Dignified, thoughtful, earnest 
brave, with a mind of broad grasp, and a will 
resolute to execute, he readily seconded the 



u 



plan of Sullivan, and is ready to carry out 
his part in the work of that memorable d^y. 
To you, standing on the soil of his native 
State, I need hardly mention the name of 
Brigadier-General James Clinton, t he brother 
of one Governor and the father of another, 
a name intimately blended with the civil and 
military history of this commonwealth. Born 
in Ulster county, N. Y , he was in age three 
years the senior of his commander. With 
the rank of Colonel he was with Montgomery 
in the invasion of Canada. In 1777 he was 
promoted to be Brigadier- General, and held 
various important commands prior to the ex- 
pedition. After the war he held several 
civil positions, and died in Orange Co., N. 
Y., greatly beloved and honored, December, 
1812, at the age of 74 years. 

The next in order of rank is Brigadier- 
General William Maxwell, commandant of 
the Jersey line, a gentleiiian of refinement 
and an officer of high character. Of his per- 
sonal history but little is known. It is be- 
lieved he was born in Ireland, but at an early 
age was brought by his parents to New Jer- 
sey. When quite young he entered the mil- 
itary si-rvice, and at the breaking out of the 
Revolutionary war was made CoL mel of the 
Second Battalion of the First Establishment, 
was with Montgomery in his Canada cam- 
paign, promoted to Brigadier -General Oct., 

1776, and commanded the Jersey Brigade in 
the battles of Brandy wine and Germantown, 
and indeed all the battles in wliich the Jersey 
Brigade was engaged, until he resigned his 
commission, July, 1780. He died Nov., 1798. 

The commander of the right wing of the 
army was Brig. Gen. Enoch Poor, of Exeter, 
N. H., who in early life had been a success- 
ful shipbuilder, became connected with the 
3d N. H., or Scammel's Keg't, and on the 
appointment of Bcammel to be Adjutant Gen- 
eral of the army, was put in command of the 
regiment, and promoted to a Brigadier in 

1777. xlfter his service with Sullivan on 
this campaign, at the request of LaFayette, 
Poor was appointed to the command of a 
brigade of light troops under that General, 
and it has been mentioned as no small tribute 
to his memory, that the Marquis, on his sec- 
ond visit to this country, at a public enter- 
tainment should have proposed the sentiment, 
"The memory of Light Infantry Poor and 
Yorktown Scammel." At Hackensack, N. 

lJ" J., he BLU&L-kakd Sept. 8, 178 C, in a duo 
with a French offlcur, but so great wag his 
popularitj^ with tho4roops, that a lupLuitT was 
foai'ed 4 f tiic truth was kn o wn ; IL was ihin ' ii - 
foi'o ouH'ontly fcpo r tod ho died of bilious 

* fever. He was in the *M year of his age."' 
Brig. Gen. Edward Hand, though the 

■^ {H i-ir^ ('^^^^ ^u^yu. li. ijiC, 



youngest of the Brigadiers, held the most im- 
portant position in the command, next to Sul- 
livan himself. Born in Ireland the last day 
of 1744, he entered the British army as en- 
sign, served for two years in his regiment in 
this country, then resigned and settled in 
Pennsylvania. A t the beginning of the Rev- 
olution he entered the Continental service as 
Lt. Colonel, but was made Colonel of a rifle 
corps in 1776, was m the battles of Long 
Island and Trenton, and in the summer and 
fall of 1777 was in command at Pittsburg, 
where he acquired such knowledge of the In- 
dian country and their modes of warfare as 
made his services indispensible to the expedi- 
tion. Washington placed great confidence in 
his judgment, and consulted him freely in re- 
gard to the feasibility of the enterprise. In 
1780 he succeeded Scammel as Adjutant 
General of the army, and held the position 
until the close of the war. He was known 
as a lover of fine horses and an excellent 
horseman. He died in Lancaster Co., Pa., 
Sept. 3, 1802, aged 58 years. 

Col. Thomas Proctor of the Artillery, was 
doubtless invited to the consultation, whose 
stalwart person must have ()een conspicuous 
in the group. He too was born in Ireland, 
but in early life came to Philadelphia whei-e 
he worked at the trade of a carpenter until 
the beginning of the war, when he raised a 
company, was commissioned captain, and 
was soon promoted to c<jlonel. He was a 
man of ' great executive ability and was fre- 
quently serviceable to the government in oth- 
er than a military capacity. In 1791, he 
was sent on a mission to the Western Indi- 
an s, which he performed to the satisfaction 
of the government. He died in March, 
1806. 

It was three hours from the time the ene- 
my was discovered, before the ground was 
reconnoitered, the plan of attack matured, 
aud the troops came up. It was determined 
that the artillery should be stationed on a 
slight rise of ground about oOO yards from 
the angle of the enemy's fortified position in 
such a way as to enfilade his lines and com- 
mand the space behind them ; Gen. Hand to 
advance a portion of his light troops near the 
breast-work, and d^e t the enemy's atten-i!lW< 
tion from the movements on the flank ; and 
the rest to support the artillery ; the left 
flanking division to push up the river as far 
as prudent in order to gain the enemy's flank, 
cut off his retreat in that direction, and join 
in the pursuit when he left the works ; Gen. 
Poor with his brigade, the Riflemen, and the 
right flanking division, supported by Clin- 
ton's brigade, to march by a circuitous route, 
and gBin the mountain (SuUivan Hill) on the 



15 



enemy's left ; Maxwell's brigade to remain a 
corps de reserve, to act as occasion might 
demand. 

It was about 3 o'clock p. m., when at a 
point a little more than a mile to the east- 
ward of where the ptith crossed Baldwin's 
creek, Poor, " marching by columns from 
the right of regiments by files," followed by 
Clinton, who was ordered to march to the 
rear and the right of him, struck off to the 
right from the path, his movement being 
concealed from the enemy by a considerable 
hill, which also hid a swamp that was direct- 
ly in his path. He had not proceeded far be- 
fore he found himself floundering in this mo- 
rass which was so thickly grown up with 
alders and bushes that his men could only 
with great difficulty make their way through 
them. An hour had been allowed as suffi- 
cient time for Poor's troops to be in position 
to turn the enemy's left, at which time the 
attack should be made in force on the front, 
the artillery fire being the signal for a simul- 
taneous attack on both front and flank. The 
advance of Poor's brigade had, however, just 
reached the creek where the group of houses 
stood near the sawmill, when Sullivan, ignor- 
ant of Poor's delay, ordered the artillery to 
open fire, and the Light infantry to advance. 
They pushed forwai'd and formed in line un- 
der the bank of the creek, which afforded a 
secure protection within 120 yards of the 
enemy's line. Proctor whose battery it will 
be remembered consisted now of six three- 
pounders, the light cohorn, andtwohowtzers, 
carrying 5J inch shells, opened Tvith a sharp, 
severe fire of shell and solid shot. Such a 
scene this valley never before witnessed and 
to such music never before did these hills 
send back their answering echoes. 

To endure a protracted cannonade is one 
of the severest tests to the discipline and 
fortitude of experienced troops, while to 
the Indian the roar of cannon is as terrify- 
ing as tiiough it were the harbinger of the 
day of doom ; yet such was the command- 
ing presence of the great In dian Captain 
and such the degree of confidence he in- 
spired, that his undisciplined warriors 
stood their ground lilie veterans for more 
than half an hour, while the shot went 
crashing through the tree-tops or plowing 
up the earth under their feet, and shells 
went screaching over their ln-ads, or 
bursting in their ranks, and high above 
the roar of the artillery and the rattle of 
small arms, coald be heard rhe voice of 
Brant (encouraging his men for the cou 
flict, and over the heads of all his cr-tsted 
plume could be seen waving where the 
fight was the hottest and where the con- 



test was like to be most sharp. At length 
word came from the party on the moun- 
tain top, whose keen eyes hyd discovered 
the advance of Pour's brigade by the 
gleaming of their arms in the sunlight, of 
the threatened attack on the flank, and 
with a chosen band of his warriors, Brant 
hastened to repel this new danger, leaving 
a few oE his Indians, with the troops un- 
der Butler, to hold the ground in front. 

Emergine from the swamp, Poor Ijore 
off considerably to the left, Clinton follow- 
ing with his left exactly in the rear of 
Poor's right, and his right as he turned 
toward the creek sweeping over the lower 
part of the hill on the east side of the 
creek, uncovered the party of the enemy 
stationed there and compelled their pre 
cipitate retreat, 

On reaching Baldwin's creek. Poor drew 
up his brigade in line of battle — Lt, Col. 
Reid's 2d N. H. Reg'c on the left, L,t. Col. 
Dearborn's 3d N. H. next, then Aloen's, 
the 6ch Mass., and Col. Cilley's, the Ist JS. 
H., on the right; and on tbe right flank 
of the brigade the 250 picked men under 
Cul. Dubois, while the riflemen were de- 
ployed in front of the line as skirmishers. 

By this time the advance of Clinton, 
who was to support Poor, began to arrive, 
and his brigade was placed" in order of 
battle with Gansevoort's Reg't, the 3d JN. 
Y., on the left, Dubois, the 5th N. Y., 
next, then Livingston's, which was the 
4th N. Y., and Cortland's-, the 2d N. Y., 
on the right. 

Having formed the line of battle, Poor 
advanced his brigade with as much rapid- 
ity as the nature of the ground and the 
heat of the day would admit. No sooner 
had he crossed the creek than he was met 
by a sharp but somewhat random fire from 
the enemy stationed along the slope tow- 
ard the creek, and protected by the trees 
which thickly ; tudded the hill side. The 
riflemen returned the fire, but the brigade 
pressed rapidly forward, without firing a 
shot, and with fixed bayonets, steadily 
driving the enemy before them, who, as 
our men advanced, retreated, darting for 
cover from tree to tree with the agility of 
panthers. 

When about two-thirds of the distance 
up the hill, the left part of the brigade 
was met by the party of the enemy from 
the breastwork, led by Brant in person. 
They falling like a thunder bolt upon Col. 
Reid's regiment, which it will be remem- 
bered was the lett wing of the brigade and 
nearest the foe, checked his advance, and 



16 



before lie had time to recover frora the 
shock, his men oui of breath from their 
run up the hill, foiiud himself in the midst 
of an ludiiiii torce outnumbering his own, 
three to une, who were swarming in a 
semi-circle about his regiment, threaten- 
ing to cut it off from the support of the 
rest of the brigade, and leaving him the 
alternativo either to fall back on Clinton 
for support or to force his way through at 
the point of the bayonet. Gen Poor be- 
ing with the right wing of the brigade, 
urging forward his men that he might cut 
off the retreat of tlie, Indians toward New- 
town, was not riwart! ol the serious danger 
which threatened Reid, l>ut Ool. Dear- 
born, whose regiment was on Reid's right, 
immediately and on his own responsibili- 
ty ordered his regiment to change or re- 
verse front, by a right about face, and 
just as Rei(t had given orders to charge. 
Dearborn's Reg't poured in a volley upon 
Brant's force w;iic,h tirsr !<tagg<Ted them, 
and then a second vollej", when they beat 
a hasty retreat. 

About the same time Clinton perceived 
the critical condition of Rpid. and pushed 
forward Gansevoort's and Dubois' regi- 
ments for his support, who reached him 
just in time to hasten the flight of the ene 
my. Brant observing the movement tow 
ard his rear and understanding its mean- 
ing, sounded the retreat, and the enemy 
fled from all parts of the field tovvard New- 
town and the ford of the Chemung, pur- 
used by Hand and the riflemen. The two 
Regiments on the right of Poor's Brigade 
and the flanking division of Dubois, reach- 
ed the river above Newtown, at a point 
where the old Fountain Inn, now owned 
by Willard Harrington, stands ; but this 
f<.>rce was not sufficient successfully to re- 
sist the demoralized mass of the enemy, 
whose only means of escape led in this 
direction ; and which being thus inter- 
cepted, they broke through Poor's line 
with such impetuosity, as for a time, to 
endanger his flank. Some shots were ex- 
changed, with(>ut serious casualty to our 
troops, although Sullivan and others say 
the enemy did not so escape. At the same 
^.fy time Col. John came very near being 
taken prisoner. 

Clinton with his two remaining regi- 
ments followed in the track of Poor, burn- 
ing the houses which lay in his path, and 
joined the other troops near Newtown. It 
was now about 6 o'clock in the afternoon, 
and seven hours since the first gun was 
fired, when three rousing cheers announced 
that the battle was ended and Sullivan's 



gallant army was in possession of the con- 
tested battle field. 

(.Jur men fought with great valor ai.d 
determination. The horrors of Wyoming, 
of Cherry Valley, of the West Branch, of 
iMinnirfink and (J-erman Flats, were fresh 
in their recollections, and many of the sol- 
diers had lost some of their nearest rela- 
tivrs in these strifes where savage hordes 
and tory outlaws held high carnival. 
There is a tradition thftt as Poor's men be- 
gan the charge up the hill, some one said, 
"Remember Wyoming," which was taken 
up alung the line as the watchword K,nd 
battle cry of the hour ; l)ut tht-re is not a 
lisp in confirmation of this in any of the 
numerous journals which have been pre- 
served to us, and like a multitude of other 
traditions was doubtless the after thought 
of some one ot wliat might have been 
rather than a relation of what actually oc- 
curred. 

The exact numbers engaged on either 
side cannot now be apcertained. Sullivan 
and his officers after going over the whole 
field, examining the line occupied by the 
enemy and comparing tlie accounts and es- 
timates of those in best position to know, 
put their strength at 1,500 men, while the 
two men who were captured on the even- 
ing of the battle gave the number as low 
as 700 or 800. vSomewhere between these 
extremes is doubtless the ruth. There 
were fifteen British regulars, both compa- 
nies of the Royal Greens, and the Tory 
militia, all told from 200 to 250 white 
men. Besides these there were all the In- 
dian warriors of the Senecas. Cay ii gas, 
Mohawks and part of the Onondagas, 
Oneidas and Tnscaroras, ami some 
of the Northern tribes. Sullivan s ays 
the warriors of the seven Nations, 
at least 1,000 men, making the entire 
force of the enemy not far from 1.200. 
That this estimate of the number of Indi- 
an warriors is not too great is evident 
when we remember that in 1763 from an 
actual census the Six Nations mustered 
1,950 fighting men, of whom 1,050 be- 
longed to tiie Senecas alone; and accord- 
ing to the calculation of Briti.sh Indian 
agent the English had in her military ser- 
vice during the Revolutionary war no less 
thon 1,580 men. It is granted on all sides 
that Brant used bis utmost eudi avors to 
make a grand rally of all his warriors for 
this battle. Allowing, however, that he 
succeeded in collecting but two-t!iii-ds of 
them, certainly a moderate estimate, and 
he must have had more than 1 0(10 braves 
under hia command. 



17 



At Catherines Towu about iiOO Indians 
from Canada joined Brant, and a couple 
of days after, at Kendaia, he reported 
that he had over 1,000 Indian warriors in 
his army. Deducting the losses at New- 
town, and from disertion which is always 
lai'ge after a dif-astroiis battle, and his 
force at Kendia could not have been 
much, if any greater than at Newtown. 

The numbers in Gen. Sullivan's com- 
mand are equally uucertain. At Wyom- 
ing his force was said to be 3,500 men, 
and the number who came with Clinton 
in round numbers to have been 1,500 or 
1,600, making a total of 5,000 in the grand 
army. But this is evidently- much too 
large. To begin with, Pennsylvania failed 
to furnish the 750 men required to fill up 
her quota, leaving not more than 2,750 
men in actual service ; and this must be 
some hat diminished. Jily 22d, nine 
days bi fore the army marched from Wy- 
oming, but alter the arrival of all his 
troops, the returns comprise 3 Brigadiers, 7 
Colonels, 6 Lieutenant-colonels, 8 Majors, 
48 Captains, 3 Chaplams, 10 Surgeons, 11 
Drum and Fife Majors, 131 Drummers 
and Filers, 2,312 rank and file, or a total 
of 2,539 men of all grades and ranks.- — 
Clinton's Brigade consisted of five regi- 
ments^ and six companies of riflemen. 
The 4th Pennsylvania Regiment, which 
was one of the number, by a return dated 
June 18, 1779, numbered of all grades 248 
men. Taking them as the standard and 
the five regiments would have about 1,250. 
Of the riflemen. Major James Poor's com- 
pany contained when enlisted in 1776, 48 
men, in 1779 could not have mustered 
more than half that number, or the six 
companies in the Brigade about 150 men. 
'! hese figures cannot be far from correct, 
and make the sum total of the army a 
trifle less than 4,000 men of all ranks. 
From these deduct 5 per cent, for sick 
and absent, the 100 left at Wyoming, 300 
left at Port Sullivan, 250 pack-horse dri- 
vers, and Sullivan's effective force could 
not have exceeded 3,100 or 3,200 men. 
The loss of the enemy was severe. 
Eleven warriors and one squaw were left 
dead on the battlo-fleld, proof of the 
fearfully demoralized condition of the In- 
dian army, who make it a matter of relig- 
ious duty and national pride that their 
dead shall not fall into the hands of their 
enemies. Besides these, a number, given 
as 19 by one writer, were found the next 
day hidden in the brush or hastily cover 
ed with leaves, and some were known to 
H have been cast in the river. All the re- 



ports made by them on their retreat were 
that their loss in killed and wounded was 
very heavy, but the precise number can- 
not be ascertained, A great number of 
packs, Butler's orderly book, the commis- 
sion of Walter Butler and other things of 
value, fell into the hands of the victors. 
Two prisoners were captured, one a white 
man, Clinton says " one Hogtailer from /^ 
the Helder Barrack," taken on the battle- 
field, and the other a Negro taken by the 
riflemen at evening, near Newtown. 

The loss in Sullivan's army was three 
kUled on the field, viz : Corporal Hunter 
and two privates ; the wounded were Ben- 
jamin Titcomb, of Dover, Major in the 2d 
N. H. through the abdomen and arms, 
Elijah Clay es, Captain of the 7th Company 
of the 2d N. H. through the body ; Na- 
thaniel McCauley, of Litchfield, 1st Lieut, 
of the 4th Company of the 1st N. H., Ser- 
geant Lane wounded in two places, Ser- 
geant Oliver Thurston, and 31 rank and 
file, all but four of whom were of Poor's 
brigade and nearly all from Reid's regi- 
ment, Lieut. Mscauley had his knee shat- 
tered making amputation necessary, and 
died before morning, and Abner Dear- 
born died a few days after he was removed 
to Tioga, Sergeant Demeret, Joshua 
Mitchell and Sylvester Wilkins died previ- 
ous to Sept. 19th, making a total of eight. 

Those who died upon the field were 
buried separately, near where they fell 
and fires were built upon their graves to 
conceal them from the enemy, lest after 
the departure of the aimy their bodies 
should be desecrated ; a practice shame- 
fully prevalent on both sides in Indian 
warfare. It seems strange thd.t in a con- 
test waged between such numbers and 
for so long a time, the casuabies should 
have been so few, laut our men were well 
protected by the bank of the creek on 
the front, and the Indians probably shot 
over the heads of those coming up the 
hill. 

While Poor's Brigade was pushing up 
the hill, Lieut. Jonathan Cass (father of 
the late eminent statesman Hon, Lewis 
Cass,) stumbled over an Indian slightly 
wounded lying in his path, stopping long 
enough to snatch the Indian's tomaha^ k 
from his belt despatched him, and imme- 
diately jomed his company. Col. Jenk- 
ins says that when the Riflemen brougli t 
the Negro prisoner to the General he in- 
quired of him what the Indians said when 
the cannon began to play upon fchem ; lie 
replied the Indians ran and so did the 
Rangers, that the officers shouted " 'Top, 



18 



Bangers ! 'top Rangers ! but Rans^ers not 
'top." In Stonte's Lite of Brant, the au- 
thor re'ates thatj sometime jHter the war 
JJrant met Col. Van Oortlan/St, and "while 
conversing upon me subject of the battle 
at Newtown, Brawt inqiared : 'General, 
when jou were standing by a large tree 
during that battle, aow near to your head 
Which struck a little 
f^eneral paused a mo- 
about two inches 
Chief then related 
'I\iad remarked your 
he, 'and call- 



did a bullet come, 
above you ?' The 
men+,, and replied- 
abovemyhat.' T/ 
the circumstances./ 
activity in the ba 



mg one ot my /best 

you out, and (Jirected 

down. He 

your head th^ instant I 

would stri 

told my wpd'rior that he 

YOU, and 



xksmen, pointed 

im to bring you 

I Tgaw you dodge 

osed the ball 

id not fall, I 

ust missed 

tree.' " 



you 



d the ball in 

That the plans of the enemy were skill- 
fully laid, and the disposition of his force 
evinced wisdom and foresight, and that 
his warriors fought valiantly, heroically, 
none will deny. But the various ruses by 
which he had so frequently allured unsus- 
pecting militia into an. bush, did not Mvail 
to entrap the more careful commander of 
this expedition. The consequence was 
that all those arrangements, which were 
made in anticipation of a panic, were of 
no accouat, and really weakened the ene- 
my's line just the number of men who had 
been stationed on the Eastern Hill, and on 
the south side of the river. And then 
the line of the enemy was so thin and 
weak that when Sullivan hurled his regi- 
ments of disciplined troops against it at 
any point, it must give way under the 
shock. Braut was overpowered by the 
weight of superior numbers. His braves 
could not for a moment stand against the 
momentum of such an attack. 

Disheartened, terror-stricken, and hope 
Iciss of further resistance, the enemy fled 
with all possible speed, not daring even to 
look behind them; and such was the mor- 
al eftect of the victory, that all the persua- 
sion of Butler and all the authority of 
Brant could not induce them to make 
another stand against the invaders, but 
without thought for else but their lives, 
they abandoned their villages to the torch 
and their cornfields to the destruction of 
the victorious foe. 

The remaining part of our story must be 
briefly told. 

The day after the battle was spent in 
destroying the crops in the neighborhood, 
sending the wounded, four heavy guns, 



ammunition wagons, etc., back to Tioga; 
and while here, owing to the prospective 
scarcity of beef and flour, and the abund- 
ance of corn, beans, potatoes, squashes, 
etc. , the army agreed without a dissent to 
subsist ou half rations of the former arti- 
cles. 

On the 31st of August the army again 
started westward. On the 15th of iSep- 
tember it reached the Indian town Chen- 
nese on the Genesee river, near present 
Cuylerville, in Livingston Co., N. Y. ; 
thence turned on its homeward path, ar- 
riving at Canadaseago, at the outlet of 
Seneca Lake, the 19th of September, 
whence parties were sent in various direc- 
tions, who swept before them every vestige 
of the fruit of human toil. 

On the 24th of Sept. the army returned 
ti 1 Kanawaholla,present Elmira, where Capt 
Reid had erected a little stockade and accu- 
mulated a magazine of supplies for the ar- 
my. Here after a day of rejoicing, while 
waiting for the several detachments of his 
army to come in, Sullivan sent a force up 
the Chemung, who destroyed everything 
as far as Painted Post. On the 30th of 
September the army returned to Fort 
Sullivan, having burned forty Indian vil- 
lages, destroyed 200,000]? bushels of corn, 
besides thousands of fruit trees and great 
quantities of beans and potatoes. It might 
be said to be literally true of this army 
that " the land was as the Garden of Eden 
before them, and behind them a desolate 
wilderness." 

Sullivan returned to Easton where a 
thanksgiving service was held, and then 
the army hasted to join that of Washing- 
ton. Congress passed a vote of thanks in 
which the officers and men were compli- 
mented in the highest terms, and v ash- 
ington did not hesitate to express his sat- 
isfaction with the management of the 
•campaign and its results in the most flat- 
tering language. 

Tha expedition was more disastrous to 
the Indians than at first might appear. 
They returned to their blackened homes 
and wasted confields and looked with de- 
spair upon the waste and ruin before 
them. They now began to feel the iron 
they had so ruthlessly thrust into the 
bosom of others. Mary Jenison says there 
was nothing left, not enough to keep a 
child. Again they wended their way to 
Niagara, where huts were built for them 
around the fort. The winter following 
was 'he coldest ever known, and prevent- 
ed the Indians going on their winter hunt. 
Cooped up in their little huts and obliged 



19 



to subsist on salted provisions, the scurvy 
broke out amongst them, and hundreds of 
them died. Those the sword had spared 
the pestilence destroyed. 

The power of the Iroquois was broken. 
That great confederation whose influence 
had once been so potent, crumbled under 
the iron heel of the invader, and the na- 
tion which had made so many tremble, it- 
self quailed before the white man's steel. 
It is true that as long as the war continued 
they kept up their depredations, but it 
was in squads of five or six, seldom as 
many as twenty. We have no repetitions 
of Wyoming or Cherry Valley. It was a 
terrible blow, but one which they brought 
upon themselves by their own perfidy and 
treachery and cruelty. The sacking of so 
many homes, the destruction of so much 
that was valuable, awakens in every civil- 
ized heart the sentiment of pity for their 
loss, but the act was as justidable as that 
which slays the assassin at your door, or 
the man who is applying the torch to your 
dwelling. 

" We often build wiser than we plan." 
When the little army of Sullivan broke 
the prestige and the pride of the Iroquois, 
it opened the door of civilization to an 
empire ; and the sound of the bugle had 
hardly ceased to echo from the mountains 
ere the sound of the woodman's axe was 
heard to ring in the forests, and a new 
civilization came in the stead of chat which 
was destroyed. The names of those who 
fought and fell on this spot have been 
forgotten. Thousands who live all over 
the Iroquois country would never have 
known of this campaign had this celebra- 
tion not aroused their attention, but the 
great country has become the home ot 
thousands and hundreds of thousands. 
Teeming cities have grown up beside its 
streams ; the products of its soil and the 
fruit of its industry are found in every 
clime ; through its broad valleys pass the 
commerce of nations, and the iron horse 
thunders over the red man's trail. And 
westward still the star of empire takes its 
way. 



Dedicated August 29, 1879, in Commemoration of the Victorv of the Americans, under 

Command of Gen. John Sullivan, over the Six Nations, under Command 

of Joseph Brant, at the Battle of Newtown, "August 29, 1779. 




SULLIVAN CENTENNIAL. 



Waterloo, JVew York, Sept. 3d, 1879. 



In the current of human history, there 
arise great events which naturally modify 
the structure of society, turn the stream of 
national life into new channels, give a 
new coloring to national character, and 
secure devulopmeut of new resources. 
They are the events which designate his- 
torical epochs, and become focal dates 
which the historian uses to mark the pro- 
gress of civilization, and trace the devel- 
opment of social and national life. 

Such an event, to this country, was the 
SullivaDE xpeditit)n, whose centennial an- 
niversary we commemorate to-day. It 
was the beginning of a new era in the 
htstory of this Empire State. It deter- 
mined at a single blow, whether white 
men or red men should hold domination 
over these fertile vales and along these 
it_ streams, and over the- lakes and moun- 
tains. At a single stroke it solved the 
question whether the American Indi m, 
with his deeply rooted prejudices, with 
his unconquerable aversion to civilization, 
with his undisguised hatred for the reli- 
gion and the culture of the European, 
was longer to stand in the way of human 
progress; whether he was longer to main- 
tain a barrier as cold and forbidding, as 
restless and yet as immovable as his own 
nature, to the advancement of the insti- 
tutions and the ideas of the white man, 
or whether he must go down before the 
antagonism of another race, which was 
every day gathering new strength and pre- 
paring itself for a fresi; onset. 

To whichever party our sympathy may 
cling, in whatever speculations the phi- 
lanthropist may indulge, whatever charges 
of cruelty, of greed, of rapacity may be 
made against the white man, we shudder 
to think what might have been the fate of 
free institutions on this Western conti- 
nent, had the wage^'of battle between the 
races, at that awful crisis, given victory 
to the vanquished. 



Instead of indilging in speculations, 
however interesting they may be, we must 
rather spend this hour in the recital of 
those important facts and movements of 
the campaign of a century past, which 
brought such renown to the actors^ in it, 
anu such benign results to succeeding gen- 
erations. 

At the very outset allow me to say, that 
the story is not one of thrilling adventure, 
of hair breadth escapes, of the exhibition 
of that exalted courage which leads one to 
" stand in some imminent deadly breach;" 
not the marshaling of forces in hostile ar- 
ray ; not the picture of war in garments 
crimsoned with blood ; but the far less 
attractive representation in robes soiled 
with the dust of heated and fatiguing 
marches, rent and torn by the bushes and 
brambles in the way, and besooted and be- 
grimmed with the smoke of burning towns 
and pertumed with the odor of wasted 
corn-fields. In its important facts, the 
story has been repeated by the public 
press until the great masses have become 
familiar with its outline, and many of them 
with its minutest details. I shall have the 
disadvantage of telling a thrice told tale ; 
but the interest you manifest in this topic 
by assembling here to day encourages me 
to proceed. That I may refresh your 
recollections with the facts of the deepest 
local interest, I shall confine myself to 
that part of the campaign which stands 
closest related to this locality — that part 
which transpired north of Newtown and 
east of Seneca Lake. [ufiyyi^yu^yt^ 

It will be remembered that at the elea© ' 
of the Revolutionary war the confederate 
Six Nations, or Iroquois, as they are com- 
monly called, occupied all that part of 
New York west of the German Flats. 
They were accustomed to speak of their 
territory as their Long House, whose east- 
ern door was gnardedgby the Mohawks, its 
western by the Senecas, and its southern, 



21 



which was at Tioga, the junction of the 
Susquehanna and Tioga, or Chemung, by 
the Cayugas. To this point all the trails 
coming from the southward centered, and 
here was stationed a Sachem who opened 
or closed the door to messengers, traders 
or travellers, as he saw fit. 

The Iroquois claimed the territory of 
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Southvyard 
to the Carolinas, by right of conquest, 
and to the Cayugas was committed the 
duty of governing these dependences on 
the South, over which the Iroquois had 
established a protectorate, and until 1768, 
when a greater part of tbis vast territory 
had been sold to the whites, deputations 
were frequently passing up the Susque- 
hanna to Cajuga Castle to negotiate with 
Togahaju, the chief Cayuga Sache'ii and 
the Iroquois Deputy, in regard to compli- 
cations growing out of the relations of 
white settlers to these nations. In conse- 
quence of this long intercourse and com- 
plicated diplomacy with the white people, 
the Cayugas assumed to possess control- 
ling influence in the Great Council of the 
Confederacy, and this assumption was 
maintained both by their strength in 
warriors and their suffrage in the Coun- 
cil. In the latter they hid the largest 
representation of any but the Onondagas, 
and in the number of their warriors they 
held a very respectable position. Thus in 
1677, out of 2,150 fighting men, the Sene- 
cas counted 1,000, the Onondagas 350, the 
Ontjidrts 200, the Mohawks and Cayugas 
each 300,. A census taken in 1763, nearly 
a century later, out of 1,950 warriors, the 
Senecas claimed 1050, the Oneidas 350, the 
Cayugas 200, the Mohawks 160, the Onon- 
dagas 150 and the Tuscororas, who had 
been admitted as the sixth nation of the 
Confederacy, 140. The British Indian 
agent reported that during the Revolution- 
ary war the English had in their service 
400 Seneca warriors, 300 each of Ononda- 
gas and Mohawks, 230 Cayugas, 200 Tus- 
caroras and 150 Oneidas These figures 
will give a pretty fair ida of the compara- 
tive strength of the nations which formed 
the Confederacy. 

After the sale of the Susquehanna 
Valley in 1768, and even before, the Cayu- 
gas admitted into their ancient towns, or 
gave, permission to build separate villages, 
to the Nanticoke, Monseys and others who 
had bean (4spossessed of their ancient 
seats by the sale of their lands. The peo- 
ple therefore, who inhabited the immedi 
ate territory of the Cayugas, from the 



Susquehanna to Lake Ontario, were a 
mixture of national ides, but all obedient 
to the mandates of the Great Council and 
the Chiefs of the Cayugas. 

As early as 1775, Sir John Johnson and 
Major John Butler called a secret council 
of the Indians at Oswego, which was 
attended principally by the Senecas and 
Cayugas, who, henceforth, with the cele- 
brated Joseph Brant, became prominent 
in their opposition to the colonists, and 
foremi st in the various marauds made 
against the frontier settlements. 

At the very outset of the Revolutionary 
war, great effort was made to pledge the 
Iroquois to be neutral in the impending 
conflict. To this the greater part of the 
Nations solemnly agreed, but though the 
pledge was shamefully broken at Oriskany 
in 1777, Congress determined to make a 
still further eifort to secure their good 
will, and sent a deputation to meet them 
!it Johnstown in 1778. It was estimated 
that 700 savages were present at this coun- 
cil, but of these there were only three or 
four Cayugas and rot a single Seneca, the 
latter nation not only refusing to attend 
the conference, but sent a most insolent 
message in which they affected great sur- 
prise, using their own language "that 
while our tomahawks were sticking in 
their heads, [meaning the Continentals], 
their wounds bleeding and their eyes 
streaming with tears for the loss of their 
friends at German Plats," (Oriskany), the 
commission should think of inviting them 
to a treaty. Says Col. Stone, in his life of 
Brant, " While the impression at the time 
seemed to be that the Oneidas, the Tuscaro- 
ras and the Onondagas would remain neu- 
tral and restrain their warriors from tak- 
ing part with the British,the commission- 
ers left the Council under the full persua- 
sion 'hat from the Senecas, the Oayvigas, 
and the greater part of the Mohawks, 
nothing but revenge for their lost friends 
and tarnished glory at Oriskany and Fort 
Schuyler, was to bf. anticipated. 

Of the massacres and pillaging of the 
frontiers during the rest of the year 1778, 
of Wyoming, German Fiats a ad Cherry 
Valley, it is not needful here to speak, ex- 
cept to s&y the Senecas, Cayugas, Mo- 
hawks and many of the warriors of the 
Onondagas, were engaged uu each of these 
bloody fields. 

As to this latter nation, it may here 
be noted, that to punish them for their 
repeated treachery and cruelty, Gen. 
Schuyler, then in command at Albany, 



22 



with the approval of Washington, 
directed General Clinton to send out 
a strong detachment and destroy their 
towns and break up their haunts. Ac- 
cordingly Col. Van Shaick, commanding 
the 1st New York Regiment, with a de- 
tachment of 558 men including officers, 
made a forced march to their towns, 
which being taken partly by surprise, 12 
Indians were slain, 33 taken prisoners, 
their three villages entirely destroyed with 
a considerable quantity of corn, beans and 
other vegetables, most of their arms cap- 
tured, a swivel at the council house disa- 
bled, their council fire extinguished, and 
the troops returned after an absence ot 
six days, having made a journey of 180 
miles, without the loss of a single man. 

From what lias been said it will readily 
be understood why Washington, in his in- 
structions to General Sullivan, gave spe- 
cific instructions for the entire destruction 
of the towns and crops of the Senecas 
aid Cayugas. They were the undisguis- 
ed, bitter and implacable enemies of the 
States, the sworn and pledged allies of 
Grreat Britain, whose cruel hatred and in- 
satiable thirst for blood had been gratified 
in the destruction of many a settler's 
home, and whose huts were adorned with 
many a dangling scalp of white man, wo- 
man and child. It was not until all ofiers 
for peace had been repelled with scorn, 
all overtures for a better understanding 
had been treated with derision, and the 
messengers of Congress had been haught- 
ily told that the Six Nations were the 
King's children, that the warm advocacy 
of Washington succeeded in persuading 
Congress to carry the war into the Iro* 
quois country. It was not expected that 
their warriors would be subdued by fight- 
ing, for to fight in open field and pitched 
battle was not their policy. It became 
necessary, therefore, to touch them at the 
only point they could be reached, lay 
waste their country at such a time of the 
year that the approach of winter would 
find them houseless and foodless. This 
extreme measure, when it once had been 
adopted, was pursued with great rigor. 

It will be remembered that on the 11th 
<,f August, Gen. Sullivan reached Tioga 
with about 2,500 men, destroyed Chemung 
on the morning of the 13th, and the same 
evening returned to Tioga, where he 
awaited the arrival of Gen. Clinton's brig- 
ade from the eastward. 

Gen. James Clinton, with the Bd, 4th 
and 5th New York Regiments, the 6th 
Massachusetts, and the 4th Pennsylvania, 



and a detachment of six companies of 
Morgan's Riflemen, under Major James 
Parr, of Northumberland Co., Pa., num- 
bering all told, 1,600 men, reached the 
south end of Otsego Lake, which is the 
head of the Susquehanna, the early part 
of fJuly, having transported his boats, 
baggage and provisions overland from the 
Mohawk river, a distance of 29 miles. 
Here he remained awaiting orders from 
Gen. Sullivan, until the 9th of August,- 
when he loaded his baggage, ammunition 
and provisions on the fletit, which had 
been hauled into the river, struck tents, 
and began his march for Tioga. He pro- 
ceeded down the river by easy marches, 
and on the evening of the 14th of August 
encamped at Anaquaga, where he halted 
two days awaiting the arrival of Col. 
Pawling, who, with a regiment of J!^ew 
York levies, was stationed at Warwassing, 
and had been ordered to join in the expe- 
dition. Owing to some misunderstanding, 
Pawling arrived at Anaquaga one day af- 
ter ''/linton's departure, when he immedi- 
ately returned to Warwaising. 

Clinton not reaching Tioga as soon as 
expected, Sullivan detached General Poor 
with 900 men properly officered, to meet 
him. The two forces met on the morning 
of August 19th, near the present village of 
Union, opposite the mouth of the Ohoco- 
nut Creek, at the Indian village Choconut, 
which consisted of 20 houses, and had 
been burned by Poor the evening before. 
The village was within the limits of the 
Cayugas' territory. In the evening the 
united force encamped at Owego, which 
after the destruction and abandonment of 
Tioga, became the "fore town" of the 
Confederacy. This town consisted of 
about twenty houses, some of which were 
surrounded with gardens and fruit trees, 
with about 500 acres of cleared land, a 
part of which was planted to corn, and a 
part covered with a luxuriant growth of 
English grass. Major Norris says that 
on their arrival at this place, the town 
was burned to grace their meeting. They 
enjoyed their bonfire, however, a little too 
soon, as the log houses would have afford- 
ed comfortable shelter through the next 
day's drenching rain storm, which Poor's 
men, who were without baggage, found it 
necessary to face without shelter. On the 
next day the march was resumed, and the 
day after the troops reached Tioga, to the 
joy of all. 

Preparations were speedily commenced 
for the onward march of the army, which 
were completed, and Sullivan broke camp 



23 



on the 26th, and fought the battle of New- 
town the 29th, at which the combined 
forces undei' Bntler and Brant were badly 
beaten and utterly dispersed by the terri- 
ble blows which they had received from 
our army,and fled in haste and terror toward 
their chief towns in the center of the State. 
After caring for his wounded, sending 
back to Tioga four of his heaviest pieces 
of artillery and other cumbrous baggage, 
with his ammunition and stores and part 
of his provisions, loaded on pack horses, 
with four light cannon and the little how- 
itzer, or cohorn, and an army'slightly 
more than 3,000 men, and each man load- 
ed with from eight to fifteen days rations, 
Sullivan set out to finish the work for 
which the expedition had been organized. 

About two miles above Newtown a little 
village of eight good houses "was found, 
which was burned, and the army passed 
on to Konawaholla, a pleasant town of 
twenty good houses, which Lieut. Barton 
says were the best he had seen since leav- 
ing Wyoming, and Capt. Livermore adds, 
were ot English construction. This town 
was situated on the point at the junction 
of present Newtown Creek with the Che- 
mung, near the city of Elmira, and four 
and a half miles above the battle ground. 
Here, as at Chemung and Newtown, the 
corn-fields bore marks of having been 
planted under the supervision of white 
people, whom it is well known were di- 
rected by the British government to aid 
the Indians in raising supplies for the 
British army and garrisons. 

From this point Col. Dayton, with the 
3d New Jersey Regiment and a detach- 
ment of the Hiflemen, was sent up the 
river in pursuit of some of the enemy 
whom the advanced guard saw escaping 
with their canoes. He chased them for 
eight miles up the river, but their speed 
was too great, and the nimble-footed sav- 
ages escaped. At this point Col. Dayton 
found an Indian village which was near 
present Big Flats, where he encamped for 
the night. The next morning he burned 
the village, destroyed about thirty acres 
of corn and a quantity of hay, and rejoin- 
ed the main arm^ just as it was leaving its 
encampment. Col. Dayton was a valued 
and trusted officer in the New Jersey line, 
having been commissioned Colonel in Feb.. 
1776. He was promoted to Brigadier- 
General Jan. 7, 1783, commanded the 
Jersey Brigade after the resignation of 
Maxwell, and continued in the service un- 
til the close of the war. 

From Kanawaholla the path turned 



northward ; the army marched about five 
miles farther and encamped for the night 
near the present village of Horseheads. 
The next morning tents weie struck at 
eight o'clock, and for three miles the path 
lay through an open plain, then they 
entered the low ground which forms the 
divide of the waters flowing into the 
Susquehanna and into the St. Lawrence, 
at that time a deep, miry swamp covered 
with water from the recent rains, dark 
with the closely ishadowing hemlocks, the 
path studded with rocks and thickly in- 
terspersed with sloughs ; it was the most 
horrible spot they had met with. It was 
past seven o'clock, just in the dusk of the 
evening, when the advanced guard emerg- 
ed from the gloomy' shadows of the morass 
and formed themselves in line just on the 
outskirts of the village Sheaquaga, or 
French Catherine'stown. The Indians 
were amazed that the army should have 
made this difficult passage in so short a 
time. Immediatly after the batle at 
Newtown the Indians had removed their 
families from this place, leaving a strong 
rear guard which kept just far enough in 
advance of our front to be out of danger, 
but near enough to observe every move- 
ment of our army, and take advantage of 
any want of precaution on the part of the 
men or their commander. This party were 
just cooking their suppers in the town as 
their scouts rushed in with breathless 
haste to inform them that the army of the 
Town-burner was at their doors, when, 
leaving their fires burning, t'aeir sup- 
pers uncooked and untasted, they fled 
with precipitate haste. The very bold 
ness of Sullivan's advance doubtless 
saved him from being harassed by the en- 
emy. They did not expect he would at- 
tempt to penetrate the swamp until the 
next day, or doubtless his army would 
have been assaulted in some of the numer- 
ous hiding places with which the morass 
abounded, at which many times the sol- 
dieis would have been almost a help- 
less prey to their assailants. It was 
pitchy dark before Hand's brigade got out 
of the wilderness. To the rest of the ar- 
my it was a night ot horrors. It was so 
dark the men could not see the path, and 
could keep it only by grasping the frocks 
of their file leaders. Poor's and Max- 
well's Brigades did not reach the town 
until ten o'clock. Many of the soldiers, ut- 
terly worn out with heat and fatigue, fell 
exhausted by the wayside, and did not 
join the army until the next day. Clinton's 
Brigade spent the night in the swamp, 



24 



without supper or shelter. Two of the 
pack horses fell and broke their necks, 
others became exhausted and died in the 
path, while the stores of food and ammu- 
nition were sadly depleted. The town was 
built on both sides of the Inlet to Seneca 
Lake, and about three miles from the 
lake, on the site of present Havana. It 
consisted of between 30 and 40 good 
houses, some good cornfields and orchards. 
The soldiers iouncf^m^ iiorses, cows, 
calves and hogs, which they ajapropriat- 
ed. In most of the jorunals the name 
given to this place is French Catherine's 
Town. While it is not my purpose at 
this time to discuss questions of Archseol- 
ogy or general history, the following para- 
graj)h from Lieut. Barton's journal will be 
of interest : 

" Catherine is the most important Sene- 
ca town we have met with since entering 
their nation. It derives its name from 
French Catherine, who in her infancy was 
taken from Canada by the savages and 
became accustomed to their manners, mar 
rying au Indian Chief who was said to 
be half French himself, from which mar- 
riage she claimed this part of the country. 
Here she raised a great number of horses 
for sale." 

Although she, Mandame Montour, and 
Queen Esther have often been confound- 
ed, yet they were three distinct persons. 
Madame Montour's romantic history cov- 
ered the first half of the 18th century. In 
1749 she was very aged and blind, and 
probably died prior to 1752. Catherine 
was young enough to have been her 
granddaughter. The reputed father of 
her children was Edward Pollard, an In- 
dian trader, and a sutler at Niagara, who 
was also the father of the famous Seneca 
warrior, Capt. Pollard. Catherine had two 
sons, Rowlan 1 and John, and one daugh- 
ter, Belle. The sons were actively en- 
gaged during the Revolution, were both 
at Wyoming in 1778, and at Newtown in 
1779, where John was wounded in the 
back. Rowland's wife was the daughter 
of the chief Sachem of the Senecas. 
After the campaign of 1779, they were all 
settled near Niagara. Of Queen Esther, 
but little is known. She was settled op- 
posite Tioga Point in 1772, and had a sis- 
ter Mary. She was a coarse, bold, reck- 
less, bloodthirsty squaw. After the war 
she settled on the banks of Cayuga Lake, 
where she died. 

All of Thursday was spent in resting, 
bringing up the wearied horses and ex- 
hausted soldiers, burning the houses, de- 



stroying the trees and corn, and scouring 
the country for straggling Indians. A 
very old squaw was found hidden in the 
bushes. She was accosted by one of the 
Indian guides in various dialects, but 
shook her head as if she could not under- 
stand. At length the General, becoming 
convinced that her ignorance was only 
assumed, threatened her with punishment 
if she did not an-.wer. She replied that 
Butler and the hiefs held a council here, 
and many of the old Chiefs and women 
desired peace, but Butler told them Sulli- 
van's army would kill them all if they 
surrendered, and they had better run ofi 
into the woods ; that Brant received a re- 
inforcement of 200 Indian warriors, who 
were eager to fight, but those who had 
been in the Battle of Newtown shook 
their heads and would not agree to it. 
She further said that the Indians lost 
very heavily in killed and wounded, and 
she heard many women lamenting the 
death of their relatives. 

On Fridayj Sept. 3d, having built a 
comfortable hut for the old squaw, and 
left her a supply of provisions, the army 
resumed its march and encamped twelve 
miles from Sheaquaga, the route most of 
the way being through open woods, over 
level country, and the journey devoid of 
special incident. The place of the en- 
campment was on the lake side where 
there were a few houses and plenty of 
corn, and near what has since been called 
Peach Orchard, where it is said the early 
settlers found conclusive evidences of In- 
dian occupation. One of these cornfields 
an Indian scout left just as our men came 
up, who found the corn roasting by the 
fire and the supper left untasted. 

..Ibout ten o'clock the next morning the 
army moved from its encampment, and 
after proceeding four miles, came to what 
is known as North Hector, but the Indi- 
an town was called Con-daw-haw, and 
consisted of one long house built accord- 
ing to Indian custom, to contain several 
fires, but in utter defiance of the white 
man's proverb about no roof being large 
enough for two families. There were 
several smaller houses besides. Destroy- 
ing these and the cornfields, the army 
went eight miles further and encamped. 

On Sunday, the 5th of September, the 
army marched three miles and encamped 
at au Indian town called Kendaia, or 
Appletown, pleasantly situated, a half a 
mile from the lake, consisting of 20 or 
more houses of hewn logs, covered with 
bark, and some of them were well paint- 



25 



ed. Here was an apple orchard of sixty- 
trees, besides others ; also peach trees and 
other fruits. The houses were burned for 
firewood, and the trees were cut down or 
girdled. The most noticeable thing 
about this town were the showy tombs 
erected over some of their Chiefs, one 
of which, larger and more conspicuous 
than the others, is described by one of 
the journals as a casement or box made 
of hewed planks, about four feet high 
and somewhat larger than the body over 
which it was placed, and which was ap- 
propriately dressed. This casement was 
painted with bright colors, and 
had openings through which the body 
could be seen, and the whole was covered 
with a roof to protect it from the weath- 
er. Although this was evidently an old 
town, yet there was such a scarcity of 
pasturage, that during the night twenty- 
seven of the cattle strayed off and were 
not found until afternoon. While here, 
Luke S wetland, who had been taken 
from Wyoming the ytar before, came to 
the army — Mr. Jenkins says, almost over- 
joyed to see his old friends again. 

On the 6tb the army encamped three 
miles north of Kendaia, on the shore of the 
lake, and opposite a consideiable Indian 
town on the other side. This camping 
place has been identified by Gen. Clark, 
of Auburn, N. Y. , as near the ravine 
called on the old maps Indian Hollow. 

Early in the morning of the 7th, the 
army again struck tents, and after march- 
ing about eight miles, came to the outlet 
of Seneca Lake. They were then in the 
country properly of the Senecas. Passing 
a small town at the foot of the lake, 
near the canal bridge, called Butler's 
buildings, five miles further around the 
lower end of the lake brought them to the 
first important Seneca town, of about 50 
houses, surrounded by orchards and corn- 
fields, and called Kanadaseaga, occupying 
nearly the site of present Geneva. Here 
the army lay by during Wednesday, the 
8th, while several detachments were sent 
out in various ways to explore the country, 
discover and destroy the neighboring vil- 
lages and cornfields. Sullivan was now 
in a strange country. He had not a single 
guide ^■vho knew the exact locality of a 
town beyond him, hence he was compelled 
to rely upon his own scouts for informa- 
tion. 

Among the companies which were thus 
sent out, was a party of volunteers under 
Col. John Harper, who, following down 
the Seneca river about eight miles, came 



to a pleasantly situated town consisting 
of eighteen houses on the north side of 
the river, called Scawyace, and occupying 
the site of yom: own handsome and thriv- 
ing village, whose enterprise and public 
spirit are indexed by this Centennial 
gathering. Near this town were some 
fish ponds, the remains of which were 
found by the early settlers without know- 
ing their use — a peculiar enterprise for an 
Indian village, and one which I do not 
remember to have seen elsewhere. Here, 
too, were fields of corn whose golden ears 
were waiting the sickle of the harvester ; 
and orchards whose trees were bending 
rmder their load of ripening fruit. The 
scout found the village abandoned by the 
Indians, burned the houses, and hastened 
theii- return to Kanadaseaga. 

This Col. Harper, whose name I have not 
met with elsewhere in the journals or re- 
ports of this campaign, in hia life of 
Brant, (Vol. II, p. 26) Col. Stone says, was 
Col. John Harper, who was one of four 
brothers, William, John, Alexander and 
Joseph, who, with eighteen others, settled 
Harpersfield in 1768, a brave and daring 
o£&cer, to whom was entrusted several 
delicate and dangerous enterprises, and 
who was throughout the war a prominent 
actor in the stirring scenes of the frontier. 
As was frequently the case, he may have 
been in command of a small squad of 
men wno volunteered for this especial 
service, or have been serving as a volun- 
teer without any command. He was 
doubtless somewhat acquainted with the 
country, and may have known of the ex- A«*^ 
istence of this very town. 

Scawyace seems to have been, not the 
capitolof the Cayugas, but one of their 
important towns, and the probable resi- 
dence of one or more of their Sachems. 
Situated upon the western frontier of their 
particular territory, and on the great trail 
which extended east and west through 
the whole extent of the Confederacy, and 
far beyond, it was guarded with especial 
care and watchfulness by the nation. Its 
destruction was only the forerunner of 
that entire destruction of their nation 
which they had every reason to expect 
was soon to follow. It may be added that 
Norris and one or two others call the place 
Large Falls, and FeUows says Long 
Falls. Having totally destroyed Kandase- 
aga, after sending back to Tioga under 
an escort of fifty men, the sick and the 
lame, on the 9th the army resumed its 
westward march through the country of 
the Senecas as far as the Genesee river 



26 



which they crossed, and having burned the 
Genesee Castle and devastated their coun- 
try, the army returned to Kanadeseaga 
on the evening of Sunday, the 19th of 
September. Here Sullivan was met by a 
delegation from the Oneidas, who came to 
excuse themselves for not joining the ex- 
pedition, and also to intercede on behalf 
of the Cayugas east of the lake, who 
claimed to be friendly to Congress ; they 
were also closely united to the Oneidas by 
intermarriages ; who thought that if the 
fowns were destroyed and the means of 
subsistence laid waste, their families would 
come to them for support, which, added 
to their already heavy burdens, would be 
more than they could endure. In reply, 
General Sullivan informed them that the 
whole course of the Cayugas had been 
marked by duplicity, and hostility, for 
which he had determined they should be 
chastised, and he should not be turned 
from his purpose 

On Monday morning, the 20th of Sep- 
tember, Gen. Sullivan detached Col. 
GaneSvoort with 100 men selected from 
the New York Regiments with instruc- 
tions to go to Fort Schuyler and Albany 
and bring forward the heavy baggage 
which had been stored at those places 
previous to the setting out of the expedi- 
tion. A few families of the Mohawks who 
professed to be friendly to the United 
States, occupied what was known as the 
Lower Mohawk Castle. By some means 
Sullivan was informed that these Indians 
were acting as spies for the hostile part of 
the nations, and directed Col. Ganl|voort 
to capture the inhabitants and destroy 
their town. ..n the representations of 
their neighbors of the fnendly disposi- 
tion of these Indians he s»t a guard over 
their town but took the men to Albany ; 
where, upon the statement of Schuyler, 
Washington ordered their immediate re- 
lease with directions " To lay them under 
such obligations for their future good be- 
havior as th€'y should thiak necessary." 

At the same time a detachment of 600 
men under the command of Lieut. -Col. 
William Butler, of the 4th Pennsylvania 
Regt. was sent to lay waste the towns on 
each side of the Cavuga Lake. Thomas 
Grant accompanied this detachment, and 
his journal, which unfortunately ends 
abruptly Sept. 25th, and the journal of 
Geo. Grant, Sergeant- Major of the 3d N. J. 
Regiment, with Sullivan's Report, are the 
principal sources of information in regard 
to the movements of this detachment. 

Of Col. Wm. Butler, to whom Gen. 



Sullivan entrusted the largest detachment, 
the most important and the most respon- 
sible duties committed to any Colonel 
during the expedition, a brief sketch may 
be of interest on this occasion. He was 
the second of five brothers of a family 
who came from Ireland and settled in 
Cumberland County, Penna., prior to 
1760. 

On the formation of the 4th Regiment 
he was commissioned Lieut. Colonel Oct. 
25, 1776. As a military officer he early 
acquired considerable distinction. When 
in the Spring of 1778, the whole frontier 
was threatened by Indians and tories, Tim- 
othy Pickering wrote to Washington for 
"an officer of established reputation for 
bravery and capacity," and adds "if we 
are not misinformed Lieut. Col. Willliam 
Butler has been most conversant with the 
Indians and their mode of fighting." 
Immediately after the battle of Mon- 
mouth, in which both his regiment and 
himself bore an important part, his reg- 
iment with six companies of riflemen, 
was stationed at Schoharie. Here his 
bravery j^jmd experience as an ofiicer, 
which \i»s second to none of his rank, 
rendered him greatly efficient in quelling 
the disaffected, and establishing confi- 
dence and courage among the people. In 
order to break up the haunts of the hos- 
tile Indians on the Susquehanna, Ool. 
Thomas Hartley with the 11th Pennsylva- 
nia ascended the river as far as Tioga 
which he destroyed, together with Queen 
Esther's Plantation and Wyalusing ; and 
about the same time. Col. Butler, the 
riflemen and a corjss of 20 rangers, marched 
to the waters of the Delaware, descended 
that stream for two days, and then struck 
off for the Susquehanna which he reached 
at Unadilla. The Indians fled on his 
approach, leaving behind great quanti- 
ties of corn, some cattle and much of 
their household goods. Sutler pushed 
on to Oghkwaga which was a well built 
Indian town, there being a number of 
good farm houses on each side of the riv- 
er. Destroying both these towns, and an 
Indian castle three miles below, the 
mills at Unadilla, and the corn, Butler re- 
turned to Schoharie. He went down the 
river with Clinton in 1779, to Tioga, 
where he was transferred to Hand's brig- 
ade. He served until the close of the 
war, when he moved to Pittsburg, and is 
said to have established the first news- 
paper printed west of the Alleghany 
Mountains. 

It was 3 o'clock p. m., when the de- 



27 



tacliinents of Ganesvoort and Butler set 
out from Kauadaseaga for Scawyace^ 
which they reached at dark and encamp 
ed there for the night. The next morn- 
ing several fields of corn were discovered 
about the town and Major Scott with 200 
men was detailed to destroy it. Major 
WiUiam Scott, of Cilley's 1st N. H. Regt. 
was of Scotch Irish descent, his father 
Alexander being one of the first settlers 
of Peterborough, moving into that town 
in 1742. While prepttring a permanent 
settlement, he left his wife in Townsend, 
Mass., where William was born May 
1743. When 17 years of age he became 
connected with Gofl''s regiment, and was 
noted for his energy and courage. In 
1775, he was a Lieutenant in one of the 
Mass. Regts and fought with desperate 
courage, His leg was fractured early in 
the engagement, but he continued light- 
ing until receiving other wounds, he fell 
and was taken prisoner. Upon the evacua- 
tion of Boston he was carried to Halifax 
and thrown into prison, but escaped by 
undermining its walls. He was in Fort 
Washington at the time of its surrender, 
Nov. 17, 1776, and was the only person 
who escaped, which he effected by swim- 
ming the Hudson by night where it was a 
mile in width. He was promoted to a 
captaincy in a Mass. Begt, but preferring 
the N. H. line he accepted a captaincy in 
Cilley's Eegt. He was with the army un- 
til 1781, when he entered the naval ser- 
vice in which he continued until the close 
of the war. He died at Litchfield, N. 
Y., Sept. 10, 1796, aged 56 years. 

While Major Scott and his party were 
engaged in completing the destruction of* 
Scawyace, the rest of the detachment 
pushed forward at 7 o'clock in the morn- 
ing. A march of eleven miles brought 
them to Cayuga Lake whose outlet they 
crossed where it was 70 perches m width, 
wading up to their breasts in water. 
Just at the outlet of this lake was the old 
Indian town Tiohero, which the Jesuit 
fathers called St. Stephen. The journalist 
says, "Near the outlet destroyed two Indi- 
an houses. The name of the place is Cho- 
haro. " The site was on the east side of 
the river, at the point where it was crossed 
by the great trail, and near where it was 
afterward crossed by the Northern Turn- 
pike. While they were destroying this 
place Major Scott and his party overtook 
them. Five and a half miles farther, or 
16 miles fmrn Scawyace, the detachment 
encamped for the night at a small Indian 
settlement a mUe aud a half from the 



Cayuga Castle, called Gewawga, located 
on the site of Union Springs. After 
leaving Choharo, he path kept near the 
lake shore, along wiiich were several 
houses and corn flelils fhat the detach- 
ment destroyed as it passerl ahmg. 

Early in the morning of Weduesd-y, 
Sept. 22cl, the detacliment reached Cay- 
uga Castle. Thomas (J-rant describes this 
town as containing 15 vei-y Inrge square 
log house.-, and adds, "I think the build- 
ings superior to any 1 have yet seen." 
Two other towns were in the immediate 
neighborhood ; one, a mile south from 
the Ci'stle and called by our men Upper 
Cayuga, containing 14 large houses, and 
the othei, two miles, north-east of the 
Castle, Grant says called by our men 
Cayuga, sometimes East CayugH, or old 
town. In the vicinity of the Castle, were 
110 acres of corn; besides apples, 
peaches, potatoes, turnips, onions, pump- 
kins, squashes and other vegetables in 
abur, dance. . Major Grant describes Cay- 
uga as a large and commod ous town con- 
sisting of about 50 houses, bur, he evi- 
dently includes three towns menthmed ?^ 
by Thomas Grant, he also adds that the 
troops found salt here, manufactured by 
the Indians trom the salt springs near 
Choharo; some United States muskets 
and a few regimental coats. The Onei- 
das, who had besought clemency for the 
Cayugas were somewhat displeased with 
Gen. Sullivan's answer to their petitirm. 
They accompanied the detachment of 
Col. Butler on their return to their own 
country. On searching the houses at 
Cayuga some fresh scalps were discover- 
ed, which were shown to the Oneidas and 
convinced them of the justice of the 
course pursued by Sullivan. This town, 
the Cayuga Castle, probably occupied the 
same site as the one called by the French 
Jesuits, Goi-o-gouen, at which the mis- 
sion of St. Josephs was established, and 
which Gen. Clark locates on the north 
side of Great Gully Brook. Phis corres- 
ponds with the distance (10 miles,; re- 
corded by Mr. Benjamin Lodge, the Sur- 
veyor of the expedition, who accompan- 
ed this detachment. On his map Cayuga 
Castle is located on the north side of the 
stream, and Upper Cayuga on the south 
side of it 

The troops were employed until 3 
o'clock p. M., of the next day, in destroy- 
ing this place when they marched to 
Ohonodote, 4)^ miles from Cayuga Castle, 
and which Mr. Lodge jaotes as "Remark- 
able for its Peach trees " There were 



28 



1,500 of them, some apple trees, and a 
number of acres of corn. This town 
consisted of 12 or 14 houses, chiefly old 
buildings, and stood on the site of the 
village of Aurora. Here the army en- 
camped for the night. Early the next 
morning the work of destruction com- 
menced. As remorseless as a cannon 
shot, the ax levelled every tree though 
burdened with its load of luscious fruit, 
and the freshly lipeued corn was gathered 
only to be destroyed. At 10 o'clock a. m. 
the torch was applied to the dwellirgs, 
and as the crackling flames lifted their 
fiery heads over this scene of havoc and 
destruction, the detachment resumed its 
</'^ march. It was an hour before the next 
encampment was reached'^ which was 16}4 
miles south of Chonodote, beside a fine 
stream of water. 

Early on Saturday morning, the 25th, 
the detachment resumed its march. Alter 
travelling seven miles they reached the 
southern extremity of Cayuga Lake; go- 
ing five miles farther they came to the 
smoking ruins of a town destroyed by a 
party under Col. Dearborn the day be- 
fore, of which I shall speak presently. 
Having destroyed the corn which was 
overlooked by the party who burned the 
town, the detachment encamped here for 
the night. 

On the 26th and the 27th the route tor 
most of the way was through a pathless 
wilderness, whera the sun and the sur 
veyor's compass were the only guides. 
On the 28th the detachment rejoined the 
main army at Fort Reid, at Kanawsholla. 
In his report Gen. Sullivan sums up 
the results of this branch of the expedition 
as follows : "Col. Butler destroyed, in 
the Cayuga country, five principal towns 
and a number of scattering houses, the 
whole making about one hundred in num- 
ber exceeding large and well built. He 
also destroyed 200 acres of excellent corn, 
with a number of orchards, one of which 
had 1,500 fruit trees. " The five towns 
destroyed were Scaryace, the three Cay- 
ugas and Chonodote 

We left Gen. Sullivan with the main 
army at Kanadaseaga on the 20th. That 
day he crossed to the east side of the out- 
let and encamped. From this point on 
Tuesday morning the 21st, Col. Dearborn 
with 200 men was sent to lay waste the 
country on the west side of Ciiyuga Lake. 
Gen. Sullivan says: "I detached Col. 
Dearborn to the west side of Cayuga lake, 
to destroy all the settlements which might 
be found there, and to intercept the Cay- 



ugas if they should attempt to escape 
Col. Butler.' 

Henry Dearborn was born at Hampton, 
March 1751, studied medicine, but hear- 
ing of the battle of Lexiugtom enlisted 
sixty volunteers and joined Staek's N. H. 
Regt. He was at Bunker Hill with his 
company, where he fought most bravely. 
In September he joined Arnold's expedi- 
dition and marched through the wilds of 
Maine and Canada for Quebec, and in the 
assault upon that city was taken prisoner. 
In March, 1777, he was exchanged and 
appointed Major of Scamme(.'s Regt. He 
fought with such gallantry in the battle 
of Stillwater and Saratoga as to be 3 o- 
ticed in orders by Gen. Gates. He was 
at York town in 1781, at the surrender 
of Oornwallis, he was two ti mt e e mem- zfey 
ber of Congress, and Secretary of 
War from 1801 to 1809 under Jeff'erson, 
after which he was appointed collector of 
the port of Boston. In 1812, he was ap- 
pointed senior Major-General in the Army 
of the United States, and captured York 
in Canada, and Fort George, at the 
mouth of the Niagara. He was recalled 
from the frontier and put in command of 
New York City. In the summer of 1822, 
he was appointed minister plenipotentia- 
ry to Portugal but after an absence of two 
years was recalled at his own request, and 
retired to private life. Gen. Dearborn 
was a man of large size, gentlemanly de- 
portment, and one of the beavioot and^?** 
most gallant men of his time. He died 
at Roxbury, June 6, 1829, aged 78 years. 

A copy of the journal of Col. Dear- 
born which I obtained after a good deal 
of research and the journal of Mijor 
James Norris of the same Regiment, 3d 
N. H., and the enterprise of your own 
local press, the Seneca County Courier, 
are the principal sources of information. 

At 8 o'clock the detachment left the 
main army, and taking almost a direct 
easterly course, came to the wigwams in 
the woods where were also several patches 
of corn, cucumbers, melons, peas, etc.; 
they also found here 15 houses. Advan- 
cing 4 miles farther, they reached the 
shore of Cayuga Lake at a very pretty 
town consisting of 10 houses, which, with 
a considerable quantity of corn, was de- 
stroyed. A mile south of this point was 
another town called Skanagutenate; going 
a mile further south and they found a 
third village, described by Norris as a 
new town, consisting of 9 houses, and 
another mile they found a large house, all 
which they burned, and Dearborn en 



29 

camped for the night about two miles 
above the large house. Counting the 
three wigwams a village, as both Dear- 
born and Norris do, and the results ot 
this day's work were the destruction of 
four towns and numerous corn fields, and 
a march estimated at 17 miles. The rela- 
tive situation of these three towns on the 
west side of the lake was very similar to 
that of the three Cayugas on the opposite 
side. The first little cluster of wigwams 
was located near the reservation line on 
the small stream that enters the Seneca 
river a! ove Seneca Falls, in the town of 
Payette. Skanagutenate, the central one 
of the three was situated on the bank of 
Canoga Creek, the second, the one un- 
named, being a mile north, and the one 
called Newtown on the Desinger farm, a 
a mile south. This is a point hardly sec- 
ond in historical interest to Cayuga itself, 
and its destruction was a severe blow to 
the Cayuga nation. While it is not ger- 
main to my topic to discuss questions of 
general history on^de of this campaign, 
but it may be allowed to say that as the 
birth-place of Eed Jacket, the great Iro- 
quois orator and opposite the burial place 
of Queen Esther, of Wyoming notoriety, 
this point must possess peculiar interest 
to the antiquarian, and the student of 
Indian history. 

After marching five miles the next day, 
the detachment came to the ruins of a 
town burned by the pack horse drivers 
connected with Col. Granesvoort,s Regt. 
Beaty under date of Sept. 6 says : "This 
evening came up 4 or five pack-horsemen, 
which lost themselves yesterday, and told 
us that they took the wrong path and 
went on till near night when they camo 
to a small Indian town on Cayuga Lake, 
which the Indians had abandoned, they 
then found out their mistake and came to 
us as soon as possible, after burning the 
houses. They likewise got a very fine 
horse, and a great number of peaches and 
apples which they brought to camp." 
Dr. Camfield adds they were Col. Ganes- 
voort's servants. This town Dearborn 
calls Swah-ya-wa-nah and adds "a half a 
mile distant found a large field of corn 
and three houses. We gathered the corn 
oat and burnt it in the houses." This 
town was built (m the banks of a stream 
which passed through the farm of Edward 
Dean, Esq., nearly opposite of Aurora. 

The detachment pushed on about five 
miles where they found a hut occupied 
by three squaws and a crippled Indian lad. 
Two of the squaws were taken 



captive. the others were left. — 
Three miles beyond this they found an- 
other hut and afield of corn ; both were 
destroyed and the party encamped four 
miles farther up the lake, 12 miles from 
Swah-ya-wa-nah, and 17 from the last en- 
campment. 

The march on the 23d was one of great 
fatigue. Setting out at sunrise, without 
any path, or map, or guide, no one of the 
party having ever been there before, they 
advanced over what both journalists call 
"a horribly rough country" which was so 
thickly covered with bushes the men 
with great difficulty pushed their way 
through them. After travelling about 9 
miles they found themselves at the end of 
a long cape, now known as Goodwin's 
Point or Taghanic, which they had mis 
taken for the end of the Lake, The de- 
tachment then struck ofl two or three 
miles to the west, and after marching by 
point of compass, about 8 miles farther 
came to the end of the Lake and en- 
camped. 

On the 24th Dearborn pat his force in 
motion at sunrise, and soon struck an old 
path which led to some huts and corn 
fields. Supposing that he was near an 
important Indian town which was re- 
ported to be at the head of the Lake, he 
divided his force into small parties and 
sent them in diilerent directions to look 
for it. In their search several scattered 
houses and corn fields were discovered 
and destroyed. At length the town was 
found situated on the Inlet creek, about 
three miles from the Lake. The town 
consisted of^ouses, and, says Norris, is 2 J 
called Oo-re-or-go-nel, who adds that "it 
is the capital of a small nation or tribe 

called . Mnjor Grant, who was in 

Butler's detachment and reached this 
town the next day after Dearborn, calls 
the place De Ho Riss Kanadai, and says 
it was situated on the west side of the 
stream in a beautiful valley, and the 
creek was deep enough for canoes to pass 
from the town to the lake at any time. 
Tite site of this town has been identified 
by Gen. Clark at a point of rising ground 
south of the school-house on the farm of 
James Elemming, Esq., and opposite to 
Buttermi.k Falls. Dearborn's party 
were from nine o'clock in the morning 
until sunset in destroying the crops and 
orchards about this place. The next day 
some of Col. Butler's men found here the 
hofse of the Rev. Dr. Kirklaad, the mis- 
sionary to the Oneidas, and one of the 
chaplains to the expedition. 



30 



The locality of this town is one of great 
interest to the antiquarian. In 1753, a 
remnant of a nation of the Catawbas 
called Ohristannas, having been nearly 
exterminated by the Iroquois, were 
planted here by the CaMugas. Soon af. 
ter the Mosseys, and the Tutelos, the 
remnant of that nation were allowed to 
settle here. In 1765, the Cayuga Sachem 
desired to remove the Christian Indians 
at Wyalusing, to the head of Cayuga 
Lake. But now as for nearly a century 
past over their buried bones and slumber- 
ing ashes, the march of the white man's 
civilization goes sweeping by; and the 
shimmering waters of the Lake over 
which the Cayuga skimmed in his birchen 
canoe, are whitened by the sails of the 
white man's commerce. 

Early in the morning of the 25th Col. 
Dearborn set out to join the main army, 
and by taking a due west course reached 
Catharines about 4 o'clock p. m. Find- 
ing the army had passed that place, his 
men, though wearied by the difficult 
march, pushed on six miles farther and 
encamped on the edge of the swamp 
and the next day reached the main 
army. 

Gen. Sullivan thus reports concerning 
this detachment. "Col. Dearborn burnt 
in his route, six towns, which include one 
that had before been partly destroyed by 
a small party, destroying at the same 
large quantities of corn. He took an In- 
dian lad and three women, prisoners; one 
of the women being very ancient, and 
the lad a cripple, he left them and 
brought on the other two and joined the 
army on the evening of the 26th." The 
six towns destroyed, were the four burned 
the first day, together with Swahyawana, 
and Co-re-or-go-nel. 

The main army which we left at the 
Seneca on the 21st, reached Kanawaholla 
on the 24th, where Capt. Eeid had col- 
lected considerable stores of provisions 
and liquor., which were hberally distrib- 
uted among the men, and the 25th was 
given as a day of rejoicing over the news 
of the alliance between Spain and the 
United .States and over the success of the 
expedition. Col. Jenkins says, "Five 
oxen were barbacued, and a great plenty 
of liquor to drink." In Gen. Hand's 
Brigade 13 fires and 13 candles were kept 
. _ burning, and 13 toasts were drank. A 
^li^ salute of 13 cannon and a /i f w) d^ pf were 
fired at evening. Col. Butler's detach- 
ment joined the main army on the 28th, 
and the next day it set out for Tioga, 
re when, on the 30th Col. Shreeve received 
them with demonstrations of joy, amid 



thunders of artillery, the lively strains of 
music, aided by Procter's regimental 
band. After feasting both officers and 
men, and pouring out pretty free liba- 
tions to Bacchus, the whole was conclud- 
ed with an Indian dance under the di- 
rection of an Oneida Chief led off by 
Gen. Hand. One of the journals says 
the clothes of the men were torn into 
shreds by the bushes and brambles 
through which for more than a month 
they had been marching, and observes 
that as the men joined in the dance, with 
their heads powdered with flour, their 
faces bedaubed with paint, and their 
fringed shreded rifle frocks streaming in-****' 
the wind, they presented an appearance 
at once wierd an d grotesque. One of the 
narrators of the story says every body 
laughed; even oae grave chaplain could 
not repress a smile. 

Sullivan reached Wyoming on the 7th 
of October, having notwithstanding the 
severities of the campaign, lost both in 
action, and otherwise, less than 40 men, 
or one per cent, of his force. 

Col. Stone, in the Life of Brant re- 
marks, "After the battle of Newtown ter- 
ror led the van of the invader, whose ap- 
proach was heralded by watchmen sta- 
tioned upon every height, and desoiation 
followed weeping in his train. The Indi- 
ans everywhere fled as Sullivan ad- 
vanced, and the whole country was swept 
as with the besom of destruction." 
"With the exception of Newtown, the 
achievements of the army in battle were 
not great. But it had scoured a broad 
extent of country, and laid more towns in 
ashes than had ever been destroyed on 
the continent before. The red men were 
driven from their beautiful country — 
their habitations left in ruins, their fields 
laid waste, tlieir orchards uprooted, and 
their altars and the tombs of their fath- 
er's overthrown." 

To the New England troops, who had 
been accustomed to the rocky soil and the 
steep hillsides of their native States, 
these broad and fertile valleys seemed 
like another Eden, and no sooner had 
war furled her crimson banners than 
these hardy sons cf the east, shouldered 
knapsack and ax and again bent their 
footsteps toward these beautiful valleys ; 
here they built their homes and reared their 
children, planted the institutions of liber- 
ty and religion and builded an empire 
whose exhaustless wealth and tireless en- 
terprise and increasing grandeur, make it 
the crowning glory of this Empire State, 
and a living example of her glorious 
motto Excelsior 



SULLIVAN CENTENNIAL. 



GeneseOf New York, Sept, 16 , 1879, 



From the planting of the first colony of 
the European race on this Western Continent 
until now, there has been going on a conflict, 
not as between «^hite men and red, but as be- 
tween civJTzHtioi; and barbarism. The In- 
dian, hi- , a supplanter, is in turn being 
suppla . _ ! , by ne who is mightier than he. 
The 1 ^'^Ist part of American history is a 
record '* the various phases and changing 
scen^' ,^; this conflict in which ihe white man 
has t,'' ^ gradually pushing the red man 
from r''^^, ancient seats, and building upon 
them ^^ own cities and temples, crowding 
oS the'^.^.^ioe to make place for the steam- 
boat, coul "ucting canals and railroads over 
his trails, sweeping off the forests by the in- 
coming tide of civilization, and filling the 
solitudes with the busy haunts of men. 

The event we commemorate today, is an 
interesting chapter in this conflict. I need 
hardly remind you of the fact that at the be- 
ginning of our Revolutionary war, the Iro- 
quois, or Six ISations, as they were usually 
called by the English and by themselves, oc- 
cupied all the vast territory of this State 
west of Schoharie county. ' Of these the Sen- 
eeas were the westernmost and the most pow- 
erful. Brought in contact with the great In- 
dian nations to the south and west of them, 
their martial skill and valor were developed' 
by constant warfare, and their pride and 
prowess raised to the highest pitch by the 
successful result of the contest, and the ex- 
termination of their enemies. Their position 
and duty of guarding the western approaches 
to the Iroquois confederacy rendered them 
watchful and vigilant. 

In point of numbers they coiild muster 
nearly as many warriors as all the rest of the 
confederacy combined. In 1677, out of 2,- 
150 braves in the Iroquois nations, the Sene- 
cas had 1,000, and in 1763 they claimed 1,050 
out of 1,950. Prior to the Revolution, the 
Indians had been a prominent party in all of 
the wars which had been waged in this coun- 
try. This was particularly the case in the 
long struggle between the English and the 



French for the mastery of the continent. In 
these wars the Iroquois had been for the 
most part the steadfast friends and allies of 
the English, and the protectors of their set- 
tlements. In all treaties for the sale of lands, /^ 
in all conferences to - J aoightoe the olaim of ^ 
friendship, the voice of the Senecas had been 
heard above all the others. Wise, politic, 
powerful, they had secured an acknowledge- 
ment of their prowess from their confeder- 
ates by their sagacity, and from others by 
the demonstration of their strength. 

In the beginning of our Revolutionary 
struggle, they and the Cayugas gave a re- 
luctant assent to '.he policy of neutrality 
which the colonists urged upon the Iroquois, 
but when the first opportunity offered eager- 
ly embraced it to make new professions of 
loyalty to the British King, and to proffer 
their aid in assisting him to subdue his re- 
bellious children. There is good reason also 
to believe that aside from the long alliance 
and friendship with the British government, 
the demoralizing effect of British gold and 
British rum and the great influence of Brant, 
that the Iroquois themselves had begun to 
feel the mortification of having their own 
subjects maintain a successful revolt against 
their authority, and their alliance with the , 
British meant ultimately the assurance of 
English rule over the white people, and of 
Iroquois supremacy over the Indians on this 
continent. The Senecas therefore seized the 
very first opportunity that was 'offered to 
throw off the guise of friendship toward the 
Congress, refused to attend the conferences 
appointed by our commissioners, spurned 
with unutterable disdain and contempt all 
overtures for peace and friendship, and de- 
clared their unyielding purpose to carry on 
the war against the "Boston people," as they 
called the patriots, until they acknowledged 
the authority of the British government. In 
the several battles and massacres in which 
Indians were engaged during the Revolu- 
tionary contest and previous to 1779, the 
Senecas bore a prominent part. They were 



34 



at Oriskany in 1777, at Wyoming in 1778, 
and to-day the question as to whom belongs 
the bad eminence of having been the chief- 
tain of the Indian braves in that ill-starred 
battle, is thought to lie between Brdnt 
the Mohawk, and Gruyanguahta, the King of 
the Senecas. Although it is doubtful if 
either of these celebrated warriors were pres- 
ent, it is an indication of the prominence of 
their position in Indian affairs, that their 
names have been preserved for a century as 
connected with that fearful butchery. 

The country occupied by the Senecas was 
the granary not only of the confederacy, but 
of the whole country occupied by the whites. 
The broad plains of the Lake region and of 
the Genesee river were then, as now, as re- 
markable for their exhaustless fertility as 
for their surpassing beauty, in which vast 
fields of corn, beans and other vegetables 
were cultivated by white men and Indians 
for the supply not only of the sons of :^he 
forest, but for Tories and for British garri- 
sons. There were orchards of apple and 
peach trees, well built houses, and large 
herds cf horses and cattle. There were, 
therefore, e.special reasons for the instruc- 
tions given to Sullivan to lav in utter waste 
the country of the Senecas, and to make it 
the principal object of the expedition to 
overrun their territory, destroy their crops, 
burn their dwellings and cripple their re- 
sources. 

As it would weary your p itience should I 
go into a detailed account of the expedition 
from its beginning to its close, I must con- 
tent myself with recounting but a single sec- 
tion of this important chapter of our Revo- 
lutionary history, and that I may refresh 
your recollection by a recital of that which 
possesses most of local interej-t for you, I 
have selected that which transpire, i west of 
Seneca Lake, depending upon your general 
knowledge of its connection with those 
causes which seemed to render this expedi- 
tion necessaiy, the organization of the ar- 
m\ , the diiJiculties the commander was com- 
pelled to surmount, the gathering of forces 
at Easton, the march to Wyoming, and 
thence to Tioga, the affair at Chemung, the 
arrival of Clinton, the battle of New Town, 
with its victory, the passage of the great 
swamp to Catharinestowu, the devastation 
of the country on the way, it must suifi?e to 
say that on the evening of Sept. 7th, with 
about 3,000 men, Sullivan reached 
Kanadeseaga, where, as usual, he 
encamped in order of battle, to-wit: — 
Gen. Hand's brigade of light troops in front, 
Gen. Poor's N. H brigade on the right. Gen. 
Maxwell's brigade on the left. Gen. Clinton's 
N. Y. brigade in the rear, with the artillery, 
pack horses and cattle in the centre. 



It may be remarked that at or nearKendia 
"the army found a tree marked 1779, Than- 
dagana, 12 men, marked on it with arrows 
pieced through them, signifying the number 
they had lost in the action of the 29th; also, 
small tree twisted around tike a rope and 
bent down, which signified tbatif we drove 
and distressed them, yet we would not con- 
quer them." 

Although the enemy had not attempted to 
resist his march since the battle on the 29th 
of August, yet he had not been unobserved 
by them. 'Their scouts and runners were 
upon every mountain, and every movement 
of the army was speedily reported to Brant 
and Butler, who, with the mam force under 
their command, had retired, first to Kana- 
daseaga, and then to Canawaugus, where 
Butler was September 10, while his rear 
guard kept only far enough in front of our 
men to be out of danger, but near enough to 
seize upon any advantage which might arise 
from want of caution on the part of the com- 
mander or of his men. A soldier inH^utler's 
army writes, "they march in suchcl.ose or- 
der that a prisoner cannot be taken, though 
the Indians are often very close to th a." 

On reaching the north end of th ' lake, 
Sullivan expected the enemy would f n at- 
tack him, while fording the outle The 
army was halted and the woods car .'uUy re- 
connoitered, but "finding the co ,st clear," 
the troops passed the ford, destroyed a small 
settlement a little beyond it, and reached 
Kanadaseaga, three miles further on. This 
was a large and important town, consisting 
of 50 houses and 30 more in the immediate 
vicinity, and being the capitoi of the nation 
was frequently called the Seneca Castle. Its 
site was on the present Castle road, a mile 
and half west from Geneva. The town was 
divided by Kandaseaga or Castle creek. It 
was regularly laid out, enclosing a large 
green plot, on which, during the "old French 
war" in 1756, Sir Wm. Johnson had erected 
a stockade fort, the remains of which were 
plainly visible by our army and spoken of in 
a number of the journals. Orchards of ap- 
ple, peach, and mulberry trees- surrounded 
the town. Fine gr?rdens with onions, peas, 
beans, squashes, potatoes, turnips, cab- 
bages, cucumbers, water melons, carots 
and parsnips, abounded, and large 
cornfields were to the north and north- 
east of the town. All were destroyed on the 
8th of September. Here was found a little 
white boy, about three years of age, which 
had been stolen by the Indians from the 
frontiers. The little fellow was nearly starv- 
ed when our men found him. No clue to his 
parentage was ever obtained. The officers 
of the expedition were greatly interested in 
the little waif and tenderly eared for him, 



85 



but he died a few months after the return of 
the expedition. 

Here was the residence of Siangorochti, or 
Guanguhta, or as commonly called Grahta, 
or Old Smoke, from the fact that he carried 
the fire-brand by which the council fires were 
lighted, an honor held by no other. At the 
time of Sullivan's expedition the old king 
was so aged that he took no part in war, but 
fled in advance of the army *^n the British 
fort at Niagara, while theyoungking was too 
young, being only twelve years of age, to en- 
gage in military affairs. A daughter of the 
old king married Rolland, a son of Catherine 
Montour. 

The army remained at this encampment 
until noon of the 9th of September. On the 
8th among the detachments sent out to ravage 
the surrounding country, was one of 200 men 
seut up the west side of Seneca lake to a 
town seven miles south of Geneva, called 
Gothseuoqean, or Kashong. Majcir Beatty 
thus tells the story : "About 10 o'clock Ma- 
jor Parr with the rifle corps was going up the 
lake to destroy a little town called Kashong. 
I, with a number of others, went as volun- 
teers, and got there about 13 o'clock; found 
it about 8 miles from camp, and the town op- 
posite to where we lay two nights ago. The 
town consisted of about 15 houses, tolerably 
well built, and all together. We got herfe 5 
horses and a ereat number of potatoes, ap- 
ples, peaches, cucumbers, watermelons, fowls, 
etc., and found a great quantity of corn here 
which we went about to destroy, after burn- 
ing the houses. Major Parr sent for a rein- 
forcement to come. We all lay under a bank 
that night." The reinforcement of 300 men, 
under Col. Smith, arrived about three o'clock 
the next mprning. After destroying 
the place we joined the main army the 
next day. During the night of the 8th a 
very heavy thunder storm passed over the 
camp which delayed the movements of the 
army until noon, when, after sending back 
to Tioga all the invalids under an escort of 
50 men, commanded by Capt. Ried who also 
had orders to forwaad supplies to Kanawa- 
hoUa, against the return of the army, they 
marched 71 miles and encamped on the banks 
of a beautiful stream of water." 

Starting i he next morning at 8 o'clock, 
Sept. 10, after marching 11 miles the army 
came to Kanandaigua Lake; and fording its 
outlet marched a mile farther, when they 
found the town of Kanandai[j:ua consisting 
of 33 elegant houses, some of them framed, 
others log, but large and new, pleasantly sit- 
uated about a mile from the west shore of 
^ the lake, in the^^part of the present Canan- 
daigua. At this place, the rear guard of the 
enemy remained so long, that their fires were 
found burning. The torch was soon applied 
to the buildings, and the army advanced a 



mile farther where the cornfields were and 
encamped, when, fatigue parties were de- 
tailed to destroy the crops, which was pretty 
thoroughly accomplished before dark. 

Before daylight on the morning of Satur- 
day, Sept. 11. the troops were again in mo- 
tion. A march of 14 miles brought them to 
the Indian town Ean-ne-ya-ye, which con- 
tained about 30 houses, and was near the site 
of present Houeoye, at the foot of Honeoye 
lake, on ihe east side of its outlet. When 
the riflemen entered the town, a few Indians 
just made their escape, leaving their packs 
and blankets behind them, and their potatoes 
roasting in the fire. Fine cornfields near the 
town afforded abundant forage tor the stock 
and food for the men. When the army left 
Newtown they were obliged for the want oi 
pack horses to carry a large part of their ra- 
tions on their backs; and as in the prosecu- 
tion of their journey the horses fmled faster 
than the provisions were consumed the bur- 
dens of the men increased rather than 
become- lighter. When the army reached 
Han-ne-ya-ye, Sullivan estimated that he was 
within twenty-five miles, or two days easy 
march of the great town of the Senecas, 
which was. the objective point of the cam- 
paign. Ordering his men to take four days 
half rations, sufficient ammunition, and what 
baggage a few of the horses could carry, the 
remainder of the stores, horses and cattle 
were left at this place, under the command 
of Capt. Cummings, fifty good men, and the 
invalids, or as one journal has it, "the lame 
and the lazy," making a total force of three 
hundred men. 

John N. Cummings was a tried and trust- 
ed officer of the Second New Jersey Regi- 
ment. At the beginning of the Revolution 
he entered the patriot army, was commis- 
sioned First Lieutenant, November 39, 1775, 
in a year was promoted to a Captaincy. On 
the arrival df the army at T:oga he was sent 
in command of a scout to reconnoitre Che- 
mung, a dehcate and hazardous undertaking. 
The position at Hen-ne-ya-ye, where with a 
mere handful of men he was to care for all 
the supplies of the army,in a cjuntry swarm- 
ing with Indians, was one demanding e^ual 
pluck and character. It may be observed 
that Captain Cummings continued in the mil- 
itary service of the country until the close of 
the war, having been promoted to Lieutenant 
Colonel, crimmanding the Third Regiment 
February 11th, 1783. The Captain at once' 
set about fortifying his camp with true sol- 
dierly skill, ^electing the largest and strong- r, 
est log house" in the town, ^-pierced it with A< 
loop holes, strengthened^ts walls with kegs 
of flour and boxes of ammunition,surrounding 
it with a strong abattis, made :with the large 
and branching apple trees which the men 
had cut do.wn. Here Sullivan left also two 



36 



of the three pounders which he had brought 
from Newtown. This work the men named 
Fort Cummings in honor of the Captain. 

Sunday morning, September 12, was rainj? 
ijjg, with thunder and lightning, so that it 
was noon before tbe army broke camp, after 
which it marched eleven miles and encamped 
in the woods nearly two miles from Kanagh- 
saws, which Sullivan would have reached 
that day but for the rain, but arrived there 
early the next morning. This town 
which IS also called Adjuton, and several 
other names, in the journals, consisted of 
eighteen houses on the east side of the inlet 
to Conesus Lake, and a short distance south- 
east of the head of the lake, and about one 
mile northwest of Conesus Center, on the 
north and south road that passes through 
the McMillan farm. Between the town and 
the lake, on what were afterwards known as 
Henderson's Flats, were the corn fields. The 
main army encamped nearly two miles north, 
on the flats southwest of Foot's Corners. 
The local tradition that Hand took the road 
through Union Corners, and encamped on 
the L. B. Richardson farm, at the False 
Faces, is not mentioned in any journal, and 
is without doubt incorrect. George Grant 
says that a fine stream of water ran through 
the town, an^] that an enterprising negro, 
called Captain Sunflsh, who had acquired 
considerable wealth and influence, resided 
here. It was also the home of the well-known 
Seneca chieftain, Big Tree, of whom Mr, 
Doty says that he was a useful friend of the 
American cause in the Revolution, and a 
leading adviser in all treaties and councils of 
the Senecas. In the summer of 1778, he 
was sent by Washington to the towns along 
the Genesee in the hope that his personal in- 
fluence and eloquence might win the Senecas 
to the cause of the States. He found his 
countrymen disposed to listen until they 
learned from a spy that the Americans were 
about to invade their country, when all flew 
to arms, Big Tree put himself at their head, 
as he said, "to chastise an enemy that would 
n^ seam to encroach upon his people's territory." 
This last sentence cannot be accepted as cor- 
rect. Col. Dearborn says that Big Tree 
"made great pretentions of friendship to- 
ward us; has been inPhiladelphia and at Gen. 
Washington's headquarters since the war 
commenced. He received a number of pres- 
ents from General Washington and Congress, 
" yet we presume he is again with Butler." 
The facts seem to be these : Though a real 
friend to the Americans, yet on coming to 
his own country he found the feeling of en- 
mity so strong and so universal among the 
Senacas, that he was overborne by it and 
obliged to submit. Mr. Doty quotes from 
President Dwight to the effect that Big Tree, 
in company with some other Indians, was 



standing on the hill overlooking Kanaghsaws, 
where he saw his own possessions given to 
the flames. "You see how the Americans 
treat their friends," said some of those around 
him, favorable to Great Britain. "What I 
see," calmnly replied the Chief, "is only the 
common fate of wars. It cannot be supposed 
that the Americans can distinguish my prop- 
erty from yours, who are their enemies.' 
After the war he returned to the Genesee' 
valley, and lived in the town called by his 
name. He continued to possess great influ- 
ence until his death, which occurred in Phil- 
adelphia, after a short illness in 1792. 

When Gen. Sullivan reached his encamp- 
ment on the evening of Sept. 12, he supposed 
he was in the vicinity of the great Genessee 
town, of which he had heard so much, and 
sent Lieut. Boyd of the Riflemen, to reconnoi- 
tre it. The town which Sullivan supposed 
Boyd would find on the east side of the Gen- 
nesee river, at the mouth of the Canaseraga 
Creek, though it had no existence at the time 
of the campaign, yet bears such a relation to 
the movements about to be related, and the 
General's misinformation in regard to it was 
attended with such serious consequences, 
that a few words of explanation are necessa- 
ry. This great town, formerly called Chen- 
ussio, and which name some of the journals 
by mistake gave to Little Beard's town, as 
early as 1750 and as late as 1770 was located 
on the site of ancient Williamsburg, near the 
confluence of the Canaseraga with the Gan- 
essee. Mary Je^fflson also located it here. 
It appears on the Guy Johnson map of 1771 
as Chenussio, on the Ponehot map of 1758 
as Connecchio — in both cases at the point 
described; Cammerh.off andtteisberger, two *Z* 
Moravian missionaries, visited it in 1750, cal- 
ling it Connesschio, and describe it as con- 
taining 40 large huts. In 1768, Gaustarax, 
the principal Sachem, was thoroughly in 
sympathy with the French, and whose in- 
fluence it required all the diplomacy of Sir 
William Johnson and the influence of the 
other tribes to overcome. Gaustarax was 
present at the great treaty at Fort Stanwix 
in 1768, where he said "he would 
remove the door of the Six 
Nations, which was formerly at his village at 
Chenussio, down to Scioto plains, and that 
he expected their assistance to enable him to 
fight his way there." Sullivan was there- 
fore misled, from the fact that the Indian 
town which, when the maps he had were 
made, was at the mouth of the Canaseraga, 
had been removed. The maps, which he 
unsparingly condemns, were doubtless cor- 
rect when made, but the site of the town had 
been changed. Col. Dearborn says express- 
ly that the General expected to find the great 
Genesee town a mile and a half from 
Gathtstsegwarrohare, and on the east side of 



87 



the river, but upon reconnoitering found it 
was five miles distant and on the other side 
of the river. 

All day of the 13th the Indians had been 
so near our army that their tracks were fresh 
on the path, and the water through which 
y they passed was loiled. Reaching Kanagh- 
saws a little after 7 o'clock the next morn- 
ing, it was found that the enemy had de- 
stroyed the bridge over the inlet to the lake, 
which ran through a soft mirey bottom sev- 
eral rods in width, over which a man could 
go on foot, but where it would be impossible 
to take the pack horses and artillery. The 
General therefore detailed a portion of the 
army to destroy the town and corn fields, 
and another portion to aid the pioneers in 
building a corduroy causeway over the marsh 
and in repairing the bridge. It was near 
noon when the work was done and the army 
was ready to march. 

In the meanwhile events of a most serious 
character were transpiring on the front, to 
which we must now turn our attention. 

Those of you who are familiar with the 
topography of the country about the head 
or south end of Gonesus lake will remember 
that-the inlet comes from the south, and for 
some distance before entering the lake flows 
through a strip of low ground, which in 1779 
was the mirey marsh over which the road had 
to be built. Bounding this slough on the west 
!s a considerable hill running north and south. 
Dr. Campfleld describes it in his journal as 
''a very high hill covered with open woods." 
The eastern face of this hill is cut up by ra- 
vines and is so steep that it is with considera- 
ble diflficulty one can climb straight up it. 
The trail ran obliquely along its side in a 
south-westerly di'-ection. 

After the battle of Newtown, Butler re- 
tired with the main part of his army to Can- 
awaugus, near the site of present Avon, where 
he received reinforcements, and where he 
remained until the 12th of September, when 
learning by his scouts of the approach of 
Sullivan to Kanaghsaws, and knowing the 
diflB.culty he would have in crossing the 
morass, determined, if possible, to surprise 
and destroy that portion of the army which 
should first cross the bridge,before the others 
could come to their assistance. The place 
was well chosen and the plan skillfully 
made. For this purpose Butler and Brant 
with their forces left Cauawaugus early in 
the morning of the 13th, and posted them- 
selves near the crest of the ridge overlooking 
the marsh, and a sufficient distance north of 
the path to escape the observation of Sulli- 
van's advanced guard. They were within 
musket shot of the creek, and could observe 
every movement of our army, while them- 
selves were entirely concealed. Here the 
enemy anxiously awaited the advance of our 



army. It waa while waiting here, that the 
incident before related of Big Tree occurred. 
In Gen. Sullivan's orders to Boyd on the 
evening of the 13th he was directed to take 
five or six men with him, make a rapid re- 
eonnoissance, and report at headquarters as 
early as sunrise the next morning. He took 
however twelve riflemen, six musketmen of 
the 4th Penn. Reg't. and six ralunteers, whe 
with himself and Hanyeiy, an Oneida 
Indian guide, and Jehoiakim a Stockbridge 
Indian made twenty-seven men in all. The 
party left camp north of Kauughaaa y at H^^ 
o'clock in the evening and set out on the 
trail leading to the great Town. Owing to 
his misinformation, Sullivan's directions had 
been confusing and misleading. It was 
found that the principally traveled trail took 
a direction different from what the Com- 
mander expected. Boyd did not lose his 
way, but instead of taking the unused path 
that led to the abandoned Chenussio, he took 
the one which brought him to an important 
town two miles farther up the Canaseraga, 
the only one between the army and the 
Genessee. In the darkness he had passed 
Butler's right flank without either party 
having discovered the other. Boyd reached 
the town which the enemy had abandoned, 
early in the mornmg, without having en- 
countered any difficulty. Halting his force 
at the outskirt '- of the village, himself and 
one of his men carefully reconnoitred the 
place, then rejoined the rest of the party and 
concealed themselves in the woods 
near the town. He sent back 
two of his men to report the 
discoveries he had made, and awaited the 
light of the day, whose morning was just 
breaking. Soon four Indians on horseback 
were seen entering the town, and Boyd sent 
a party to take or kill them. They killed one 
and wounded another. The wounded man 
and the two others escaped. Boyd then set 
out for camp. Having gone four or five 
miles, and thinking the army must be on its 
march toward him, he sat down to rest. — 
Af ter a 6 hort halt he dispatched two of his 
men to inform the General where he was and 
of his intention to await the coming of the 
army. In a short time these men returned 
with the information that they had discover- 
ed five Indians on the path. Boyd again «4- «£ 
sumed his march and had gone bat a short 
distance, when he discovered the same party 
and fired on them. They ran, and Boyd, 
against the advice of Hanyerry, pursued 
them. The chase was kept up some distance, 
the Indians succeeding in alluring the scout- 
ing party near the enemy's lines. They then 

allowed the party to approach sufficiently ^ 

near to draw, but kept out of danger. But- ^^^ 
ler, hearing The firing on his right, as his / 
force was arranged facing Conesus, and fear- 



Y38 



ing that he had been discovered and that an 
attempt was being made to surprise his camp, 
hastened to the spot, where he found Boyd's 
party still followmg the Indians. Without 
being aware of their presence, Boyd was al- 
ready within the fatal embrace of the enemy, 
and nearly surrounded, when Butler gave 
such orders as to completely surround hioi 
Once and again he attempted to break their 
line but without success ; he then sought to 
retreat, but he was encompassed on all sides. 
The odds were fearf ul,800 of the Indians and 
y Tories to'Sf Americans, but the scouts deter- 
' mined to sell their lives as dearly as possible^ 
and relief from our army, which was only 
about a mile distant, was expected every mo- 
ment. Covered by a clump of trees our men 
poured a murderous fire upon the enemy as 
they were closing around them, numbers of 
whom were seen to fall. In all fifteen of 
Boyd's party, including Hanyerry, were 
. slain, eight escaped, while Boyd and his ser- 
geant , Parker 'who were captured, and two 
had been sent early in the morning to report 
to General Sullivan. The bodies of the 
slain were found on the 16th and buried 
with military honors; that of Hanyerry 
with the others, although literally hacked to 
pieces. The story of his capture, the theat- 
rical address of his brother, and his tragic 
end, as told by Stone and repeated by others 
lacks both confirmation and probability. Of 
-^ ^ fehgrfi^ e who escaped, one was the noted 
Timothy Murphy, an account of whose hair- 
breadth escapes and deeds of reckless daring 
would fill a volume; ^Se others were Blerson, 
, , McDonald, Garrett Putnam, afid a French 
'V''^ Canadian. Boyd and Parker were hastened 
^kljn to Little'lBeard's town, where they were put 
to death with cruel tortures. It has been 
currently reported that after his capture 
Boyd approached Brant under the sign of a 
Free Mason, of which ancient fraternity both 
were members, that the chieftain recognized 
the bond of brotherhood and promised him 
protection, but being unexpectedly called 
away, the captives were placed in charge of 
Butler (probably Walter N.) who, becoming 
exasperated with Boyd's persistent refusal to 
disclose any information in regard to the 
army, handed them over to the Indians to be 
put to death. The whole story, however, is 
extremely doubtful, and it is now difficult to 
ascertain how much, if any, should be re- 
ceived as true. The most that can be said 
with certainty is, that the next day the bodies 
of the unfortunate men were found by our 
troops horribly mangled, and bearing marks 
of having suffered unspeakable torture. 

Sullivan had established a line of sentries 
along the base of the hill next the morass, to 
guard the pioneers against surprise while re- 
pairing the bridge and causeway. Captain 
Benjamin Lodge, who was the surveyor for 



the expedition, and with chain and compass 
"had measured the entire route from Baston, 
about half an hour after the skirmish with 
Boyd on the hill, had gone a short distance 
beyond the picket line, when he was set 
upon by a party ot Indians, who. Dr. Camp- 
field says, were pursuing the fugitives of the 
scouting party. Thomas Grant, who was 
one of the surveying party, thus tells the 
story: "Myself and four chain carriers, 
who were about one and a half miles 
advanced of the troops, were fired 
on by several Indians, who lay in ambush; a 
corpora,! by the name of Calhawn, who came 
voluntarily with me, was mortally wounded 
and died the next day. The Indians pur- 
sued us a fourth of a mile, but without suc- 
cess, — we being unarmed were obliged to 
run." Mr. Lodge was compelled to leave his 
compass and run towards the nearest senti- 
nel, who shot the Indian chasing him with 
uplifted tomahawk, and Mr. Lodge escaped. 
Gen. Sullivan ordered Hand's brigade to 
cross the morass, pueh up the hill and dis- 
lodge the enemy. Butler on returning to his 
forces on the crest of the hill found them in 
confusion, who seeing the preparations made 
to attack them beat a hasty retreat, leaving 
their hats, packs, etc., behind them. . Butler 
being thus thwarted in his plans to surprise 
the army, withdrew his forces to Ghthtsgwa- 
rohare. *■ 

While the sad fate of Boyd and his party 
deserves our heartiest commiseration, yet 
his management of the scout was both un- 
wise and unmilitary, and seems marked by a 
succession of rash and fatal blunders, and a 
deliberate disobedience to the orders of his 
commandeiji utterly inexcusable in a soldier. 
Not only did he greatly exceed his orders in 
the number of men he took with him, but his 
delay to return until the daylight revealed 
his position, and his allowing his men to fire 
upon the enemy when he was not attacked, 
were all, under the circumstances, acts of 
great folly. He was advised by Hanyerry 
to take a different path on his return to camp 
and warned of the danger of pursuing the 
five Indians who were evidently trying to 
decoy him into an ambush, but he stubbornly 
refused to hear the advice. Altogether he 
exhibited a rashness and temerity ill becom- 
ing the . responsible position he occupied. 
When he found himself assailed by the enemy 
without doubt he fought with desperation. 
His only hope was to keep the enemy at bay 
until our army should come up. The story 
which has passed current among us, that 
Buyd endured torture, rather than disclose 
anything relating to the army is of doubtful 
authenticity. Several of the journals express 
the relief experienced when on the return of 
the army to Hennayaye they found 
Captain Cummings safe, as they 



39 



feared that Boyd had revealed his 
defenceless position to the enemy. The Brit- 
ish reports say he told everything. In a let- 
ter dated Niagara, Sept. 19th, addressed to 
Mr. Robert Hamilton, the author says : — 
"The Lieucenant was examined, and told 
that there were about five thousand, consist- 
ing of Continental troops, with fifteen hund- 
red riflemen, with four six, and three pound- 
ers, and a small mortar, commanded by 
General Sullivan and two other general ofii- 
eers — one regiment of five hundred men left 
at Tioga, and another at Genesee, which 
completed the whole six thousand, and that 
they had only one month's provisions with 
them and intended to destroy the Indian 
country and then return." With some ex- 
aggeration, this was substantially the condi- 
tion of the army at the time, and places the 
conduct of Boyd in a light materially differ- 
ent from the generally accepted account. 

On the 37th of March. 1780, a party of 
Indians captured Thomas Bennett and oth- 
ers in the Wyoming valley. The leader had 
a very fine sword, which he said belonged to 
Boyd, and added, "Boyd brave man." The 
prisoners rose upon their captor;;, killed rev- 
eral of them, re-captured the sword, and re- 
turned in safety to Wyoming. 

Had Butler succeeded in surprising our ar- 
my instead of being surprised, the results 
might have been still more disastrous to our 
trooDS. This, however, is one of those in- 
stances in which conjecture is useless, and 
we will return to the actual movements of 
the main army. 

Having destroyed Kanaghsaws and com- 
pleted the bridge and causeway, Sullivan 
pushed forward on the trail taken by Boyd 
the night before, a distance of seven miles to 
Gathtsegwarohare, or as it is sometimes call- 
ed Gaghehegwaiehale, or Cassawaughlough- 
ly. This was an Indian town of 25 houses, 
mostly new, on the east side of the Oanaser- 
aga creek, about two miles above its conflu- 
ence with the Genesee. The site is now oc- 
cupied by the house and surrounding 
grounds of the "Hermitage," the ancestral 
home of the Carrolls. The tribe residing 
here, called by Sullivan Squatchegas, by the 
Onondagas Tchou-era gak, signifying Wild- 
Cats, and by others Kai7*kwas, were the 
same that afterwards settled on Squakie 
Hill, to whom two miles square was 
reserved in the treaty of 1789. They were a 
a remnant of one of the tribes of the historic 
j^j tCTbcs , who occupied the territory south and 
east of Lake Erie, whose blood, language 
and league did not differ materially from the 
Iroquois. 

As the advance of the army approached 
the town, about dusk of Sept. 13th, they 
found themselves confronted by a strong 
force of Indians and Rangers drawn up in 



battle array to dispute their further progress. 
The General at once pushed forward the 
flanking divisions to cut off their retreat, 
but the enemy, seeing the troops come into 
position, fled without firing a gun, and the 
army encamped in the town without opposi- 
tion. There were extensive corn fields adja- 
cent to the town, which it took 3,000 men six 
hours the next day to destroy. This being 
accomplished, about noon of the 14th they 
set out for the great Genesee town. Major 
Norris' description is so vivid I will quote it. 
He says : "At 13 o'clock we marched, after 
fording the small river that the town stands 
on, and passing through a small grove of 
wood, we entered upon what are called the 
great Genesee Flats, which is a vast body of 
clear intervale, twelve or fourteen miles up 
and down the river, and several miles back 
from the river, on both sides, and cov- 
ered with grass from five to eight feet high 
and so thick that a man can get through it 
but very slowly. Our army appears to very 
great advantage, moving on in the exact or- 
der of march laid down in the plan; but 
very often we that are on horseback would 
see nothing but the men's guns above the 
grass. After marching about two miles on 
the flat we came to the river, which we ford- 
ed, passed over a body of flats on the other 
side, and ascended on to oak land, proceed- 
ed four miles and arrived at the town which 
we found deserted." Other journals describe 
the site of the town as on higher ground than 
the surrounding plain, and as being nearly 
encircled by a bend of the river, and that a 
pretty brook ran through it. The army 
reached here about sunset. 

The location of this great Seneca Castle 
was on the west side of the Genesee river, 
on the flat immediately in front of Cuylers- 
ville, in the town of Leicester, on the oppo- 
site side of the valley from Geneseo. It ap- 
pears on Evans map as Chenandoanes; in 
1776 it was called Chenondanah; by Morgan 
is called De-o-nun-da-ga-a, as a more mod- 
ern Seneca name, signifying "where 
the hill is near," but is more often called Lit- 
tle Beard's town, from the name of the noted 
Seneca chieftain who resided here in 1779. 

The castle consisted of 138 houses, of 
which the most were large and elegant, and 
was surrounded by about 300 acres of corn- 
fields and gardens filled with all kinds of 
vegetables. It was the western door of the 
Long House to which the Iroquois were ac- 
customed to liken their confederacy. Near 
this town were found the bodies of Lieut. 
Thomas Boyd and Sergeant Parker, horribly 
mutilated by the tortures to which they had 
been subjected. They were buried that even- 
ing with the honors of war, near the spot 
where thjy were found, under a clump of 
wild plums, standing near the junction of 



Boyd's and Parker's Creeks. A large mound 
by the roadside still marks their first burial 
place. The town bore evidences of having 
been deserted in hurry and confusion. This 
place was the extreme limit of the westward 
march of the army. Sullivan says he was 
told there were no towns between that and 
Niagara. • 

There was, however, an Indian town 
twelve miles from the Great Castle, near the 
site of Avon, called Canawaugus, which has 
been reported to have been destroyed by a 
detachment under Poor and Maxwell, but 
this is a mistake. All the journals agree 
that Little Beard's town was the last de- 
stroyed, and make no mention whatever of 
Canawaugus. 

At 6 o'clock in the morning of the 15th of 
September, the whole army was turned out 
to destroy the crops, orchards, houses and 
gardens of the place. The corn was piled 
up in the houses and burned with them, or 
consumed on log heaps. It was estimated 
that from 15,C00 to 30,000 bushels were de- 
stroyed at this place. It was the largest corn 
the troops had ever seen, some of the ears 
being 22 inches in length. It was about 2 
o'clock p. M. when, the fields having been 
overrun, the abundant harvest destroyed, the 
trees hewn down, and naught of the great 
town was remaining but smoking ruins and 
blackened logs, there came the joyful order 
to about face and return. While the army 
remained at this town, Mrs. Lester, with a 
child in her arms, came to our troops. 
The autumn previous (Nov. 7,) her 
husband with others was captured near Nan- 
ticoke, Pennsylvaaia, by the Indjansj he was 
slain, but his wife was carried into captivity. 
In their baste to escape our army, her cap- 
tors left her behind, and she escaped to our 
lines. Her child died a few days after. She 
subsequently became the wife of Capt. Ros- 
well Franklin, who was in the first party that 
settled Aurora, on Cayuga lake. 

The army retuned by the same route it 
came. It left Little Beardstown about three 
o'clock, p. M., and marched in the following 
order : ''The little gun was mounted on a 
block of wood, to which handles were attach- 
ed so that it could be carried by hand. It 
was so taken to Chemung on the 12th of 
August, and was so carried on much of the 
return march. Gen. Clinton's brigade fol- 
lowed in four columns, the other troops fol- 
lowing nextj Gen. Hand's brigade brought 
up the rear] the two pieces of artillery were 
in the rear of him,? and the riflemen in the 
rear of the whole. The army encamped that 
night on ihe flats near Gathtsegwarrohare. 

On Thursday, the 16th, the army were at 
work completing the destructon of some 
crops left on the 14th. The march was re- 
sumed at ten o'clock. Capt. Henderson, with 



60 men, was detailed to bury the dead who 
fell on the 13th. Fifteen bodies were found. 
Norris says : "Fourteen of Lieut. Boyd's 
party were found dead this afternoon, near 
together, scalped. Honyose (Hanyerre), an 
Oneida Indian of considerable note, who was 
with Lieut. Boyd, was among the dead." 
These were buried in the presence of the 
troops with the honors of war, and the army 
proceeded to Kanagh saws and encamped. 

The place where Boyd's men were buried 
was near where they fell. It is at the head 
of the first ravine south of the road which 
passes by the cemetery on the hill west of the 
head of Conesus lake. The point is within a 
half mile of the cemetery and about ten rods 
directly south of Mrs. Boyd's barn. 

The next morning was cold, with severe 
frost, but the troops were in motion at sun- 
rise, and hastened to Haneyaye, which they 
reached at one o'clock, and, to the great joy 
of the General and the army, found Capt. 
Cummings and his party safe and sound. 
Here the full ration was again issued, which, 
says one of the journals, "came very wel- 
come, as we can now sit down and eat a 
hearty meal of victuals with a clear eon- 
science, and before, on oiur half ration, we 
dare not." 

On the evening of the 19th, the army 
reached Kanadaseaga without any occur- 
rence worthy of note, except that scattered 
dwellings and fields of corn which had 
been overlooked, or purposely spared were 
completely destroyed, and a number of the 
pack horses being unable to travel further 
were shot. At Kanadaseaga a detachment 
under Colonel Smith was sent up the west 
side of Seneca lake to complete the destruc- 
tion of Kefshong; another under Col. Butler 
up the east side of Cayuga lake, and a third 
under Colonel Dearborn up the west side of 
Cayuga, which efiected the devastation of 
that whole region. They reached Konawa- 
holla, the site of present Elmira, on the 24th 
of September, where Capt. Reid had brought 
up an abundance of provisions and stores, 
and who received the advancing army with 
demonstrations of joy. The next day was 
spent in rejoicing, and two following detach- 
ments were sent up the Tioga, one under Col. 
Courtlandt and the other under Capt. Simon 
Spalding, who laid waste the country as far 
as Painted Post. The detachments having 
come in, the army reached Fort Sullivan 
September 30th, and Easton on the 15th of 
October. 

An eminent military man has said that 
"the importance of a military movement is 
not to be measured by the number of lives it 
cost, but by the results which have flowed 
from it." The almost bloodless victories 
have oft times been the most valuable ones. 
Such was the case with this expedition. It 



has been too much the fashion 
among the writers of American his- 
tory to pass over this expedition as 
a trifling affair, because like our modern 
Antietam or Gettysburg, it did not cost heca- 
tombs of human lives; it was nevertheless 
one of the almost critical events of the Revo- 
lution. At the commencement of this dis- 
course I alluded to the alliance between the 
Iroquois and the British government having 
for its end the establishment of British su- 
premacy over the European races, and of 
Iroquois rTile over the Indian. This cam- 
paign materially weakened this alliance and 
broke the power of the confederation. Their 
Long House had been forcibly entered, and 
the feet of strangers and enemies had pollu- 
ted its sacred threshold. Those whose slight- 
est whisper had made nations tremble, who 
had ruled their vassals with a rod of iron, 
were made to feel the weight of the white 
man's wrath. From that day the glory of 
the Iroquois nations has departed, the luster 
of their arms has been growing dim, their 
pride humbled and their numbers depleted. 
Upon the ashes of their burned villages the 
pale face has builded towns and cities; the 
songs of the war dance have been 
hushed by the hum of the manufactory, 
the vast forests have melted awej before the 
woodman's ax, and the great wilderness has 
not only been made to blossom Jn beauty, 
but to bear the various products of human 
industry. 

It was needful that both British and Indi- 
ans should be taught that blows could be 
given as well as taken; and this lesson they 
earned effectually. The Indians never for- 
got the terror which the marching army 
with its big guns inspired, nor the famine 
and woe which followed the destruction of 
their homes and fields. 

In the "History of New York during the 
Revolutionary war." by Thomas Jones, of 
the Supreme Court of the Province, he says: 
"Though several times attacked upon the 
march by a number of Indians, refugees and 
tories, under the commsnd of Col. Butler, of 
Tryon county, and the famous Mohawk 
warrior. Captain Brant, no kind of impres- 
sion could be made by them upon so firm, 
so stubborn, and so well constituted a pha- 
lanx. I have heard Col. Butler compare it 
to the driving of a wedge into a stick of 
wood. Nothing stopped or disturbed its mo- 
tion." 

The expedition was not only necessary for 
the defence of our frontiers, which had so 
often been ravaged by the merciless Iroquois, 
but was necessary to the development, if not 
to the integrity of the Republic. Let those 
who speak harshly of Sullivan and of Wash- 
ington and of Congress for their part in this 
expedition, if they feel no sentiment of vin- 
dictive justice for the hundreds of massacred 
women and children, no commiseration for 
the tortures of their kindred blood, no re- 
grets for the burning of whiie men's towns 



and villages, if all their pity must be lavish- 
ed on homeless squaws, and all their indig- 
nation must be expended over burning wig- 
wams and wasted cornfields and prostrate 
orchards, yet it might be worth a thought to 
consider what this great State would have 
been, nay what the country would have been 
without the substantial fruits of this expedi- 
tion, without the Iroquois country. Here are 
the sou'*ces of the great rivers of the conti- 
nent, across its plains stretch the canals and 
railroads over which are borne the produc- 
tions and commerce of all climes, and its 
fertile fields are now as they were a hundred 
years ago, the garden and granary of this 
Empire State. 

CONCLUDING NOTE. 

In General Sullivan's official reports, he 
claimed to hava lost fram all causes less than 
forty men, and to have destroyed forty towns, 
fourteen of which were destroyed by Clinton 
and himself, prior to the 30th of August. 
This statement has been doubted by some 
critics, and Sullivan's veracity in his official 
report virtually questioned. A careful colla- 
tion of the journals gives the following re- 
sults : 

LOSS OF MEN. 
One, a boatman drowned, a soldier died at Van- 
derlip's and i^erg't Martin Johnson at Wyalusing, 
all Aug. 5. At Tioga, Jabez Elliott was killed by 
Indians, Aug 15; Philip Helter, Aug. 17, and Capt. 
Benj . Kimball, accidentally Aug 23. Seven werw 
killed at Chemung, Aug. 12; 3 were killed and 5 
di d (of wounds from the battle of Newtown; 17 per- 
ished iit Groveland, making a total of 38. Besides 
these Hauyerry was killed at Groveland, one soldier 
died at Wyoming, and one rifleman was killed 
while Clinton was at the foot of Otsego Lake. 

TOWNS DBSTBOYBD. 

The following are the fourteens towns destroyed pre- 
vious to the 3Uth of August with the date of their de- 
struttion : 

1. jStewtychanning, at the mouth of Sugar creek, 
AuguHt9. 

2. Old Chemung, near present town, Aug. 13. 

3. New i,/heinung, Aug. 13. 

4. Newtown. 6. Small village at the fortifications. 
6. New bui dings, Aug. ^9 

7. Small town south of Elmira, Aug. 30. Destroyed 
by Clinton and Poor. 

8. Albout, .vug. 12. 9. Oneguga. 10. Ingaren, 
Aug. 17. il. Otsiningo, Aug. 18. 12. ChoWnut, e<* 
Aug. 18. 13 Owegy, Aug. 19. 14. Majickatawan- 
gum, Aug. 'il. '*■ 

Subsequently the following which altogether count 
up to f jrty-two : 
Iri. Middletown, 3 miles a'love Newtown, Aug. 31. 

16. KanawahoUa, site of Elmira, Aug. 31. 

17. Bunonvea, near iJig Flats, Aug. 31, Col. Day- 
ton. 

18. Sheoquaga, Havana, Sept. 1. 

19. Peach Orchard, .'^ept. 3. 

20. Condawhavv, North Hector, Sept. 4. 

21. Kendaia, Sept. 5. 

22. Nugfiage, at the foot of Seneca Lake, Sept. 7. ^^ 

23. Kauadaseaga, 2 miles east of Geneva, Sept. 7. 

24. Kershong, on the west side of Seneca Lake. 
Sept. 8. 

25. Kanandaigua, Sept. 10. 

26. Haueyaye, Sept. 11. 

27. Kanaghsaws, Sept. 13. 

28 Gathsegwarohare, Sept. 13. 

29. Genesee Castle, Sept. 15. 

Sis towns were destroyed by Col. Dearborn and 5" 
by Col Butler. Besides Sullivan says a large town 
of 39 houses near 'Be«town. which make 41, without Nt\/lf 
counting Kna^to 12 miles above Elmira, and Painted <? 
Post, destroyed by Col Spalding, Sept. 29. 



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